Life with Godfather
by Potterfan71
Summary: What if Sirius Black had reached Godric's Hollow first after Voldemort murdered Lily and James Potter? What if, instead of hunting down Pettigrew, he chose to make keeping Harry safe his first priority? What if Dumbledore had shared more secrets with the other Order of the Phoenix members? How different would Harry's life be, and how would it affect the outcome of the war? AU
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sirius Black lounged back in his chair and placed two cards on the table. "Two, please," he said to the dealer. He had been winning all night, not even bothering to use magic. The dealer studied him, trying to get a read on him, but Sirius' face remained impassive. Inwardly, he smiled. He was really enjoying hanging out with these muggles. When James had suggested it as a way to hide from Voldemort, he had resisted, protested even. But he had to admit he found it quite fun. These blokes were rather a seedy lot, but his landlady was a kindly old bird, and the girl he had been dating was absolutely lovely.

Suddenly, he felt a prickling on his skin, and the hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up. He felt a twisting in his gut. He wasn't sure of the source of the BAD FEELING, but to be sure, he felt he should check on Lily and James. He folded, excused himself from the rest of the game, picked up his winnings, and left.

When he apparated behind the Potters' house in Godric's Hollow, he immediately knew that his worry wasn't just paranoia. He rushed through the back door and into the house. "James!" he called out, "Lily!"

No answer. He stopped, and felt frozen in place. His breath came in ragged gasps, much more from fear than from the short run to the house. A baby's cry broke the still, eery quiet in the normally bustling household.

"Harry," he said, and he rushed up the back steps to Harry's room. Harry continued to cry, and Sirius tried to keep himself from wondering why Lily or James hadn't picked him up and comforted him. When he reached the doorway to Harry's room, the sight that met him confirmed his unthought fear. Lily Potter lay lifeless in front of the crib. The room was dark save for the illumination from Harry's little wand night light. Sirius knelt by her side and felt for a pulse. Nothing. His stomach churned, and tears sprang to his eyes. If Lily was dead, that meant that James…

Harry had continued to cry, and now he was trying to say Sirius' name, which he hadn't quite mastered yet. Sirius stood and scooped up the small boy. He whispered comforting sounds and took the boy from the room. He had to get Harry out of here. The boy had obviously witnessed the death of his mother, and the danger might not yet be over. He had to find James, but if James was…

His limbs went weak, and he nearly dropped Harry. He walked into the hallway and turned on a light. Harry had quieted some, and Sirius looked into the little boy's face. _What the hell is that?_ There was a zigzag wound on Harry's forehead and a trail of blood seeping from it. Sirius went to the bathroom, cleaned the wound, and healed it with a charm. Or tried to, at least. The bleeding stopped, and the wound had sealed up, but the zigzag shape remained on the boy's head.

He heard someone coming up the stairs, and he turned so that Harry was shielded by his body and aimed his wand in the direction of the noise. "James?!" he called out, his voice breaking with grief.

"Sorry, no," a familiar voice said. The thin form and greasy hair was the last thing that James had expected to see.

"Snivellus?"

"Really, Sirius, now is not the time for childish names. Where is Lily?"

"She's, she's—. Snivellus, did you do this? Did you kill her?"

Sirius had never seen an expression of pain and grief on Severus Snape's face before. In fact, he would have thought him incapable of such emotion. Snape turned from Sirius and began looking in the rooms. When he found her, his wail of grief was so raw that Sirius knew that Snape had nothing to do with her death. He stood in the doorway of Harry's room and looked in to see Snape on the floor with Lily's head in his lap. Tears flowed down his sallow cheeks and he continued to wail.

"He said he would keep her safe! He promised! He promised!" Snape sounded like a child railing at an injustice. And, of course, it was an injustice.

"Snape, we've got to get out of here. I've got to find James! I've got to keep Harry safe!"

"He's dead! His body is in the living room! How is the boy alive?" Snape's words hung between them, and Sirius could not process what he said. It felt like a nightmare, two of his best friends killed, and Harry, poor Harry, with hardly a mark on him. What could have killed them but left Harry alive?

"You were the secret-keeper! You did this!" Snape yelled accusingly.

"It was Peter." The guilt washed over Sirius as he realized what had happened. He had convinced Lily and James to make Peter secret-keeper, since everyone would assume they would pick Sirius. It was all his fault. If he had been secret-keeper, Lily and James would still be alive.

A cry from downstairs broke through his remorse. Remus! He ran downstairs, still shielding Harry. He did not want Harry to see. Harry shouldn't have to see this.

Remus was bent over a body lying in the living room floor. He reacted quickly to the sound of Sirius' footsteps on the stairs, and he shot off a hex. Sirius dodged it and called Remus' name.

"Remus, we have to get out of here! We have to get Harry somewhere safe!"

"Harry's okay? And Lily, is Lily okay, too?" The hope in Remus' voice made Sirius begin crying again. He shook his head slowly.

"She's dead, mate. Voldemort must have—Peter, oh, I am going to kill Peter." Rage unlike any Sirius had ever felt overtook the grief, and he felt strengthened by it.

"Not now, Sirius," Remus said. "Later, yes, but for now, we have to get Harry somewhere safe."

"We need to get to Hogwarts, to Dumbledore," Severus said as he descended the stairs.

"Snape?" Remus' voice questioned.

"We have no time to lose. We must get Harry to Albus. He'll know what to do." Snape led the way out the door, and Sirius and Remus followed. Out in the road, Snape took three deep breaths, then grasped hold of the other two men's wrists. He apparated them all to Hogsmeade.

"Expecto Patronum!" Snape said, and a doe patronus pranced through the night to the castle. The three men began walking in the same direction as the doe.

"Why were you at Lily and James' house tonight?" Remus asked.

"I had a bad feeling, an awful feeling," Snape replied.

"I did too!" Remus and Sirius said as one.

"But why did you have a bad feeling? You hated James!" Remus didn't even try to hide the accusation in his voice.

"But he loved Lily," Sirius said quietly. "Remember, they were friends once. You were in love with her, weren't you, Severus?" Sirius didn't think he had ever called Snape by his first name before, but after seeing him grieve Lily's death, he could no longer think of him as an enemy.

Snape nodded as he buried his face in his hands. He seemed on the verge of collapse, and Remus put an arm around him to keep him upright. "Come on, man," Remus said. "We have to get to Dumbledore."

Snape had regained control of himself by the time they reached the headmaster's office. "Licorice wand," he said offhandedly, and the door to the revolving staircase opened. The three men stepped on.

Dumbledore stood up from his desk as they entered his office. If he was surprised to see Snape with Remus, Sirius, and Harry, he did not show it. "Tell me," he said simply.

There were a few moments of silence, then Sirius began, "I had an awful feeling that something was terribly wrong-"

"So did I." Remus and Snape interrupted him together. They looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to Sirius.

"When I got to Godric's Hollow, I found Lily. She was lying in front of Harry's crib. Harry was crying. He has a wound. It wouldn't heal properly. And then Snape showed up. He said James was dead. And then Remus showed up." Sirius realized he sounded like an idiot, but his thoughts were just as choppy as his speech.

"How could Harry have survived?" Remus asked Dumbledore.

"I have an idea how it could have occurred, but I need to be sure." He turned to Snape. "Severus, I know you must be shattered by what has transpired tonight, but I must ask you to look inside Harry's mind to see tonight's events. Are you up to it?"

"No bloody way," Sirius yelled as he held Harry tighter to himself. Harry woke up and began to whimper.

"Sirius," Dumbledore said calmly, "I understand your reluctance, but Severus is the most skilled Legilimens I have ever seen. Harry will be quite safe, I assure you."

"I would never do anything to harm Lily Evans' son." Snape said simply.

 _Lily POTTER,_ Sirius almost corrected him, but he stopped himself. Now was not the time to antagonize the man.

"So, I ask again, are you up to the task?" Dumbledore asked.

"I will need a few moments, but yes. I understand the importance. Please try to make sure the boy is awake and calm." Snape sat in one of the armchairs opposite Dumbledore's desk, closed his eyes, and began taking deep breaths. Sirius hummed a little and danced Harry around a bit.

After ten minutes or so, Severus opened his eyes and said, "Sit here, with the child on your knee. I need to maintain eye contact in order for this to work."

Sirius did as Snape instructed. Harry reached out and grabbed at Snape's hair. Snape caught the child's hands in his own. "I will need silence." He stared into the boy's eyes.

 _Carefully, slowly, calmly, Severus moved through Harry's mind. Images of the boy's room, of his parents, floated past. He saw James and Lily smiling at Harry, Lily feeding Harry, James making sparks appear out of his wand for the boy's amusement. He went further into the child's mind. A memory shuddered a bit, and Severus directed himself nearer. He breathed deeply and evenly. Harry was being carried up the stairs. Lily smiled at him and sang a lullaby as she took him to bed. Suddenly a voice cried out, "Lily, he's here, take Harry and run. I'll hold him off!" The panic in his father's voice and the horrorstruck expression on his mother's face made the child afraid. Lily moved more quickly up the stairs. She ran into Harry's bedroom and locked the door. A crash came from below. Then there were footsteps coming up the stairs, not hurrying but moving deliberately. Lily placed the child in his crib and stood in front of it. She didn't have a wand. The door opened, and the Dark Lord said, "Step aside, silly girl!" Lily cried, "No, not Harry! Kill me instead!" There was a flash of green light, and Lily fell. The Dark Lord raised his wand again, and there was another flash of green light. The baby cried out as something struck his forehead. The Dark Lord fell. Severus stilled himself, and waited for what came next. The child continued to cry for what seemed like a very long time, then there were more footsteps. Pettigrew appeared, and the child recognized him. "Pe-er," the boy said, happy to see him. Peter did not look at the child, but turned his attention to the lifeless body of Lord Voldemort. He placed a hand on the body and vanished. Severus had to struggle to control himself, but control himself he did. He would not risk injury to the child's developing mind. He withdrew slowly, and as he did so he had an almost tactile sensation of residue, residue of the Dark Lord. It seemed to permeate the child's mind. Severus forced himself to keep his own mind blank and only observe as he exited the boy's memories._

Snape sat back. The boy's hands were still in his own, and he absently stroked the child's butter-soft skin. A few tears trickled down the man's pale face, and his jaw was tense. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He held the breath longer than the other men would have thought possible before exhaling completely. He repeated this action three more times, then opened his eyes again.

Complete quiet and stillness still claimed the room. It seemed that everyone was afraid to speak. Finally, after several more minutes, Harry started to babble, and that seemed to break the spell.

"Severus," Dumbledore said softly, "what did you see?"

Snape described what he had seen in the child's mind in a calm, dispassionate voice. He willed himself to report only and walled his own emotions off in a corner of his mind. Later, when he was alone, he would feel. For now, he needed to think without feeling. When he got to the point about Pettigrew, Sirius and Remus cried out in shock, but Dumbledore shushed them.

"There was something else," Snape said. "Something I have never experienced before. It was different. It's hard to describe, but it was like part of the Dark Lord remained inside Harry's brain."

"That's impossible," Sirius protested. Remus looked equally disbelieving. The men looked at Dumbledore. He sat stroking his beard, lost in thought.

"Albus," Remus said after several minutes. "What happened? How did Harry survive?"

"Lily protected him." Dumbledore said, as if it were self-evident.

"But she died! How did she protect him after she died?!" Sirius was distraught, and yet his need to understand was paramount, because in understanding how Harry had survived he might find the answer to continue protecting the boy.

"Yes, Sirius, she did. But, you see, this wasn't some random violence to sate Voldemort's malice. Harry was the target. Harry was the one Voldemort was there to kill. Lily's sacrifice, though noble, would not have been enough except for the fact that Harry was the intended victim."

"Love," Remus said.

"Yes," said Dumbledore, "Mother's love, fiercely protective, and in order for that love to protect Harry, Lily must have had not even the faintest glimmer of a doubt that she would give her life to protect her son. Even among the most devoted of mothers, I think that is remarkable. She had to have been completely devoid of self-preservation."

All four men were weeping silently as Dumbledore's words sank in. Harry continued to babble, "Mum, mum mum, mum mum mum." It was hard to tell if the boy was just making noise or if he was calling for his mother. He didn't seem at all insistent, but rather was babbling and playing with Sirius's earring.

"What about the other thing Snape felt?" Remus asked. "The feeling that Voldemort was still in Harry's head."

"It was probably just that Harry was so frightened," Sirius said. "Or Snape imagined it."

"I did not imagine it, although I wish that were the case. It is unfathomable, and it leaves me with a feeling of dread, as though the Dark Lord is not truly dead." Snape looked worried. "But how could that be, Dumbledore? I saw his body. I saw Pettigrew remove him from the house, and I have no doubt by Pettigrew's reaction that he was dead."

"Let me ponder that for a while," Dumbledore said. "But, for now, I think we should all take some rest. Please, everyone, stay here at the castle tonight. I have plenty of room. Your old dormitories are occupied, of course, but you're welcome to stay in the guest suites."

Sirius looked at Remus, who looked every bit as tired as he felt. Remus nodded. "Thank you, Professor," Sirius said.

"Very well, I will have one of the house elves bring in a crib for Harry. Good night."

The next morning, Sirius awoke and looked up at the bed curtains in the four-poster bed. It was so familiar a sight that for a split second, he thought he was back in school. If that were the case, though, he'd have awakened to activity and noise. He was always the last of his friends to rise when they had been roommates. He sighed as he thought about the events that occurred the previous night. He wished he could pretend that it had all been a nightmare and go back to sleep. He couldn't, though. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and went to take a shower. Harry was still sleeping peacefully. Remus had just begun to stir.

When he came back, Harry was sitting in Remus' lap. Remus was making bubbles come out of his wand, and Harry was clapping his hands on them and popping them. He giggled in delight.

"Dumbledore sent a message asking us to join him in his office for breakfast," Remus said. "I'll just grab a quick shower and we can go."

"Okay," Sirius replied. It seemed so odd to be talking about breakfast. To be going on with their lives as though nothing had happened. But what else could they do?

When they entered, Dumbledore was waiting for them. He gestured for them to sit. Snape, Minerva McGonagall, and Hagrid were also seated at the table. Remus and Sirius nodded to Snape and greeted the others. Hagrid was crying softly, and McGonagall wore a pained expression. Apparently, Dumbledore had told them what had happened.

"I've just been talking to the others about Harry's upbringing," Dumbledore said. "I think it's best that he go to live with his Aunt and Uncle in Little Whinging."

Rage and shock left Sirius speechless for several moments. He glared at Dumbledore, but Dumbledore held up a hand asking for his forbearance.

"Before you say anything, I want you to know why," Dumbledore began. "You see, when Lily protected Harry last night, she performed an incredible bit of magic. I think, by placing Harry with a blood relative, I can extend that magic to protect Harry as long as he resides with his Aunt."

Sirius gave it some thought. Harry's protection was tantamount. And was he really up to the task of raising a baby? If Dumbledore could use Lily's sacrifice to keep Harry safe, shouldn't he let him? Then he thought of all of the times he had seen Lily crying after visiting her family. The things that her sister Petunia had said to her, had called her. "Freak" had been among the nicer names Petunia had called Lily. And James had said that Vernon was worse—a large, boorish bully who wanted nothing to do with magic. Then he thought about the day James and Lily had asked him to be Harry's godfather, and how much it meant to him when Lily said that there was no one else she would entrust her son to.

"No," Sirius said. "I'm sorry, Dumbledore, but Harry will stay with me."

"Try to see reason, Sirius. The magic I can invoke by entrusting Harry into his aunt's care is unbreakable. It would guarantee that Voldemort could not touch him."

Sirius gritted his teeth. He knew that Dumbledore was just trying to do what was best for Harry, but at the same time it angered him. With effort, he kept his voice level. "It's not that I don't see the wisdom in what you say. Professor Dumbledore, you know I hold you in the highest regard, and I would not carelessly cast aside your advice. But do you have any idea what it would be like for Harry to grow up in that household? Petunia completely withdrew her love and acceptance from Lily after she found out that Lily was a witch. She made Lily's visits home torture!"

"Well, I understand that it might not be the most idyllic of childhoods for Harry to be raised by his aunt and uncle, but at least he would be safe," Dumbledore argued.

"I want more for Harry than safety," Sirius said. "I want him to be safe, and happy, and loved."

There was silence in the room for a few moments. Sirius could tell that Dumbledore was trying to mount another argument.

"I agree with Sirius," Snape said. Sirius and Remus looked at Snape in shock, but Snape continued. "Albus, you do not know the woman. I do. She is nasty, spiteful, vindictive, and hateful. If we allowed her to rear the child, who knows how he would turn out?"

"I'll help you raise 'im up, Sirius," Hagrid offered. "I'd protect Harry with my life."

"Well, you know I will help you with Harry," Remus said.

"As will I," said McGonagall.

"And I," said Snape.

"I still think-" Dumbledore began.

"With all due respect, Albus," Remus said, "Sirius is his godfather. Legally, he is responsible for the boy."

"Well, yes, that's true," Dumbledore admitted. He twisted his face this way and that, as though arguing with himself internally. Finally, he gave Sirius a small smile. "In that case, I place myself entirely at your disposal, Sirius. If it is in my power to aid and protect Harry, I will do it."

"That's settled, then," said Remus. "We need a plan of action. A way to keep Harry safe from any of Voldemort's followers."

"I propose we go on the offensive." The quiet determination in Minerva McGonagall's voice gave Sirius a shiver.

"Really, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked.

"Absolutely, Albus. The best defense is a good offense," she replied.

"I think the muggle expression is actually the reverse of that phrase," Remus commented offhandedly. "But I rather find myself agreeing with my esteemed professor."

"I have spent the last several years with the Dark Lord and his followers," Snape said. "I would imagine the information I have could prove quite useful."

"I will assemble the Order of the Phoenix at once," Dumbledore said. "Sirius, we need to find a safe place for you and Harry to live. I would permit you to stay here longer, but I can't put the students at risk."

"Why would having them here put the students at risk?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes, Dumbledore, and why was Harry the target? Why did Voldemort want to kill him, specifically?" Remus asked.

But it was Snape who answered. "There was a prophecy. In essence, it identified Harry as the one who would be able to bring down the Dark Lord."

The occupants of the room sat in stunned silence. _How could Harry possibly have the power to kill Voldemort? He was only a baby!_

"I will summon you all when I have convened the Order," Dumbledore said imperiously. "Severus, stay behind, if you please?" The others rose to leave the room.

As they walked along the corridor, McGonagall sighed heavily. "There are arrangements to be made, Sirius," she began. "Of course, if you want to handle them yourselves, I would never think to intrude. You and Remus were their closest friends, after all, but if you should want any assistance, I am more than willing to help."

At first, Sirius didn't know what she was referring to, and then it hit him. _The funeral._ _Oh, bloody hell, and they had just left last night. Had left Lily and James lying there!_

McGonagall seemed to know what he was thinking. "Professor Dumbledore went to Godric's Hollow last night before he retired. Their—well, they are here, at Hogwarts, with stasis spells upon them."

Sirius felt a great rush of gratitude towards Dumbledore in that moment. He had been so tired and so worried about Harry that he hadn't thought to retrieve the bodies. Grief overtook him again, and he buried his face in his hands.

"Your help would be much appreciated, Minerva," Remus said.

"Very well, then," McGonagall said. "If you would care to accompany me back to my office, we can begin making the necessary arrangements."

Remus and Sirius nodded their agreement, and they went to perform the sorrowful task.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Severus Snape paced the floor of the guest suite that Dumbledore had provided. His brain felt full to bursting. So much had happened in the past day. He read over the note from Lucius for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Severus,

Meeting at the manor this evening at 7. Your support would be most appreciated.

Lucius

The brevity of the correspondence held no surprise. Voldemort's death left a power vacuum. Lucius would, of course, want to lead the Death Eaters. He would consider himself the only suitable leader for the movement for blood purity. Lucius could trace his pure-blood status back several centuries, as could his wife Narcissa. Who else could say the same? Bellatrix, could, but, although her dueling skills were masterful and her bloodlust second only to Fenrir Greenback, she lacked leadership skills. Her husband and her brother-in-law would undoubtedly lay claim to the position, but theirs was the weaker claim. Lucius had more money, more influence, and greater connections.

Severus thought back to his sorting, to the pain he had felt at the smile on Lily Evans' face as the sorting hat called out "Griffindor" as it sat on her head. He thought about the reassuring hand on his shoulder as Lucius Malfoy welcomed him to Slytherin House. There were times in his life when Lucius had been his only friend. In their years at Hogwarts together, Lucius had treated him like a younger brother. And even after Lucius had graduated, he wrote to Severus at least weekly. Lucius had been the only person other than Lily to whom he had confided about his parents' constant bickering and about his shame at his father being a muggle. Severus had been hesitant to share his parentage with the pureblood, but Lucius had been surprisingly compassionate. He had placed an arm around Severus' shoulders and assured him that his dedication to the pureblood cause was more important than the fact that his father was a muggle. Lucius had even gone on to look up Severus' mother's lineage and show Severus how far back the Prince bloodline had been pure. He sympathized that Severus' mother had married so unwisely but emphasized that his mother's pure blood had apparently won out, putting forward Severus' talents at potions as well as inventing spells as proof.

Severus had never told Lucius of his love for Lily Evans, however, and he had downplayed his friendship with her, knowing that to Lucius she would never be anything more than a mudblood. Severus pictured Lily—her smile, her auburn hair that shone in the sun, the way her laugh made him feel. And then he remembered how lifeless her eyes had been the night before, the way her limp form cooled even as he held her in his arms for the last time. He choked, retched, and lost the contents of his stomach into a chamber-pot. He vanished the sick in an instant and shook his head slightly to clear it of the morose thoughts.

Friendship with Lucius or no, he simply could not support a cause that would exterminate brilliant, beautiful people like his Lily simply for their blood status. Years ago, he had made the wrong choice, and it had cost him Lily's friendship. Months ago, he had made the wrong choice in revealing the prophecy to the Dark Lord, and it had cost him Lily's life. He would never be able to make up for those choices. He would never be able to apologize to Lily for those wrong choices, but he could help protect Harry.

Poor Harry would never know his lovely mother. It wounded Severus to look at the child, as he was the embodiment of Lily joining with that awful James Potter. The boy resembled his father much more than he did his beautiful mother, but his eyes! Severus sighed. His eyes were just like hers. When Severus had gazed into them the night before so that he could look into the boy's mind, the resemblance in the child's green eyes had been uncanny.

The child's mind also more closely resembled his mother. Had he been asked to describe how Harry's mind seemed similar to Lily's, he knew he would have been unequal to the task. There was an openness, though, that went beyond merely being a child. He had her curious nature, her sweet character, and her quiet confidence rather than his father's swaggering arrogance. Tainting that, though, had been that residue of the Dark Lord.

Severus shuddered as he thought of Dumbledore's explanation for that taint. He had never heard of a horcrux before Albus explained it to him, and the thought of a bit of the Dark Lord's soul being trapped inside Harry made his stomach churn.

It seemed Dumbledore was correct in his explanation, though. He and Dumbledore had cornered Slughorn shortly after breakfast. The portly man had been reluctant to admit that Tom Riddle had come asking about horcruxes. Albus had instructed Severus to share every detail of Lily's death, but not to reveal the feeling that the Dark Lord had left a part of him inside Harry. Instead, Dumbledore told Slughorn only part of the truth, of his fear that Voldemort wasn't truly dead. Slughorn had pleaded with Dumbledore to leave him alone, and Severus had pitied the man. Only the knowledge of the purity of Albus' motive allowed Severus to continue badgering the poor man until he finally told them that Tom Riddle had asked if a wizard could make more than one horcrux, and that he had expressed the thought that splitting one's soul into seven pieces would be the safest.

Dumbledore had sworn them both to secrecy after Slughorn revealed that information. Having no desire for anyone else to know how he had inadvertently contributed to Voldemort's quest, Slughorn happily agreed to keep silent. Severus thought it would be best to tell the others so that they all could hunt for horcruxes, but Albus had insisted. The job would fall to he and Severus, and Slughorn, too, if he wished to help. The potions master had demurred, saying that he wasn't equal to the task and had no idea how to even begin. He had gone on to resign his post as well. He had told Dumbledore that he would stay on for the rest of the term, but that he had been considering retirement for some time and that it seemed right to leave teaching to younger men.

After they left Slughorn, Albus had turned to Severus and told him the job was his if he wanted it. Severus found himself agreeing without even thinking about it. So there was another change in Severus' life: a new job. As of January, Severus Snape would be Hogwarts new potion master.

Feeling dizzy at all of the developments of the last fifteen hours or so, Severus stopped pacing and sat on the edge of his bed. It seemed his mind had been made up for him. He would join the order, betray his second oldest friend, hunt for horcruxes, teach at Hogwarts, and try to make peace with his second oldest enemy. Why? Why would he change his life so?

He stood up again. Lily's face appeared in his mind again. "Expecto patronem!" he called out in a calm and confident voice. He watched the silvery doe prance around his room. As it shimmered into nothingness, he answered his own question. _For Lily, and for love._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Order met in the Great Hall later that afternoon. Its members seated themselves around the large table that had been set up for their use. They helped themselves to tea and coffee and conversed quietly as they were waiting for everyone else to arrive. When everyone was present, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, Hagrid, McGonagall, and Snape entered the hall. Several Order members commented about Snape's inclusion in the meeting, some in whispers and some more vocally, but all were clearly opposed to his presence.

"What the bloody hell is going on here, Dumbledore? Since when do we include Death Eaters in our meetings?" Frank Longbottom asked angrily.

"Patience, please, patience! Severus is here at my invitation, and it is my wish that he join the Order of the Phoenix." Dumbledore's tone was confident, but he paused immediately after to allow everyone the opportunity to voice their objections.

"Why would a Death Eater want to join the order?" Again, it was Frank who voiced his disagreement openly. "Why would a Death Eater even _know_ about the order?"

"I understand your reluctance, Frank, but Severus has been spying on the Death Eaters for the past six months, at great peril to himself."

The room sat in stunned silence at this revelation. Allastor Moody shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Swear to that under Veritaserum, will you, then, Snape? Or make us an Unbreakable Vow?"

"I will do either, or both, if you wish," Snape's voice was somewhere between sneering and boredom. Several people gasped. An Unbreakable Vow was not something that one entered into lightly, and yet Snape spoke of it quite casually.

"At the moment, I have news to share," said Dumbledore. He sighed and stroked is beard, as if trying to find the right words.

Sirius spoke up before Dumbledore could continue. "Lily and James Potter are dead at Voldemort's hand. We managed to get Harry out alive. Voldemort is likely dead as well, but we aren't sure."

"How?" Alice Longbottom asked. "Who was their secret-keeper?"

"It was Peter," Remus answered. "We thought we could trust him. We thought wrong, apparently. Pettigrew apparated away from Godric's Hollow with Voldemort's apparently lifeless body."

"I realize that everyone will want time to grieve over this momentous loss," McGonagall began. "But there is work to be done. Now is the time to act, to round up all the Death Eaters we can, to find Pettigrew if possible, and to try to determine if Voldemort is truly dead."

Cries of "hear, hear" and "let's get to it" sounded back from those assembled.

Snape cleared his throat to speak. Dumbledore leaned close to him and whispered, "Severus, if you tell all, you will no longer be able to continue your role as spy."

"I understand, Albus, but I've had enough of sneaking about. The Dark Lord is either dead or seriously weakened. We have an opportunity, now, to gain the upper hand. I can feel it in my bones."

"And you want your revenge, yes?"

"I do, Albus. I won't deny it. Seeing him snuff her life out so carelessly, seeing it from the child's perspective! I can't explain it, Dumbledore, but seeing that changed me. I can't play the role of spy any longer. I don't think I would be effective at hiding my loathing. Even the best occlumens has his limits."

"Very well, my friend." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled as he smiled at his former student.

Snape turned to the group again. "I would like to share information with the Order of the Phoenix, and I insist upon ingesting veritaserum prior to doing so. Afterwards, I am more than willing to make an Unbreakable Vow to the Order as to my loyalty and my intention to assist in the downfall of Lord Voldemort and all of his followers."

Allastor Moody supplied the potion and offered to lead the questioning. Snape did not know everyone associated with Voldemort, of course, but he had several dozen names, and he had often been witness to and even party to many of their deeds. Some of those who were Death Eaters, such as Lucius Malfoy and the LeStranges, came as no surprise to anyone. Other names, however, proved to be more shocking.

"Barty Crouch, Junior! Really!" Alice exclaimed in surprise. "But he's the son of a ministry official!"

"And Thorfin Rowle! He's in charge of the bloody treasury department!" Fabian said in wonder.

"Earlier today, I received an invitation to Malfoy Manor. The Death Eaters will need a new leader, and Lucius Malfoy believes himself to be just the man." Severus had mixed feelings about turning in Lucius Malfoy. Lucius had, after all, been a friend, something akin to a big brother even at one point in time. And he also had a wife and young son. But Lucius and Bellatrix were the Dark Lord's best lieutenants, and there was really no way to bring him down without neutralizing them both. He just hoped that he would not be doing battle with Lucius personally. He would hate to have to kill the man.

After Snape had shared everything that he knew or even suspected, the majority of the order voted to act at once. Moody proposed that Severus pledge his loyalty to the order in their traditional binding ceremony rather than making an Unbreakable Vow.

"I reckon you just sealed your loyalty to us rather permanently with what you've just divulged," the auror told Snape.

Severus looked grateful, and hastened to the front of the room for Albus to perform the binding. He felt a lump in his throat. He wondered what his life would have been like if he could have made this choice while Lily was alive, before she fell in love with James, before she had cut him out of her life. But there was no going back now. He made his choices then, and he had to live with them.

Albus asked him to kneel facing the order members. "Do you, Severus Snape, pledge loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix from this day forward?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to serve the Order to the best of your ability?"

"I do."

"And do you promise always to keep the secrets of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"I do."

"Locutus est fratribus parta fides!" Dumbledore pronounced loudly. He brought his wand to touch down on Snape's right shoulder, then left, then finally his head. Golden light encased Snape for several moments, then as it faded, the other order members applauded loudly.

Fabian and Gideon Prewett were the first to clasp him on the shoulder and say "Welcome, Brother". Snape was stunned, especially when all of the order members did the same. Fabian and Gideon had no real animosity for him. They hadn't had much contact with each other while they were at Hogwarts and hadn't seen each other since. But Frank and Alice Longbottom had hated him for years. Alice was one of Lily's closest confidants, and Snape shuddered at the thought of what Lily must have said about him after that dreadful day he called her that awful word.

When Sirius and Remus welcomed him to the order, Snape thought he would pass out from shock. Snape had thought that they would be mortal enemies until the day he died. Granted, neither Sirius nor Remus had smiles upon their faces as they gave him the traditional welcome, nor did their grasp linger on his shoulder. But still, he was frankly amazed and oddly pleased at being accepted into this group.

The order made their plans quickly. Alice Longbottom reluctantly agreed to forgo the mission itself and instead keep the children safe at Longbottom Hall. Fabian and Gideon asked that their sister Molly Weasley and her family be allowed guest right at the hall as well.

"We're just worried that the Burrow will be targeted. Molly and Arthur have seven little ones. Bill and Charlie are here at school, of course, but that still leaves Percy, the twins, and Ron, and Ginny's barely six months old." Gideon's normally jovial face was shadowed with worry.

"Of course they can come and stay with us!" Alice assured them. "We have plenty of room, and I'm sure Neville would love to have some playmates! I'll just apparate home and let Augusta and the house elves know that we have company coming, then I'll floo-call Molly and Arthur to invite them. Will you let them know to expect me?"

The twins nodded their agreement, and Sirius handed Harry to Alice. Sirius kissed Harry on the forehead and instructed him to be a good boy for his Auntie Alice. Alice took Harry from his arms and smiled her reassurance at Sirius and she left the hall with Frank.

Frank returned a few minutes later, after having walked Alice to the edge of Hogwarts grounds so that she could apparate home. The group had held off seriously planning the mission while waiting for Frank's return.

"Let us proceed," Dumbledore said when everyone was seated once again.

"Right," Moody said. "So, Snape, what kind of protections does Malfoy Manor have, and how do you propose getting around them?"

"The manor will allow my entrance, and, once inside, I can deactivate the wards." Snape stated this casually, as if he were discussing attending a ball or taking a walk in the park. He took two coins from his pocket and wordlessly cast a spell on them. "Now, then, I have placed a protean charm on the coins, and once the wards are down, your coin will begin to wiggle around in your pocket."

"It's that simple, is it?" Moody asked suspiciously.

"Well, yes, I suppose there is the chance that I will be harmed or even killed when you apparate in. After all, I did make promises of loyalty when I took the dark mark. But I think I can avoid it. If not, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." Snape continued to speak in the same off-handed manner, as if he could care less whether he lived or died.

The rest of the group stared at him for a minute. Sirius considered whether he himself was likely to survive this mission. After all, Bellatrix would likely be at the manor, and she would happily kill him given the chance. Perhaps he should stay behind with Alice and take care of the children. His duty now was to Harry. He felt torn. Staying safe while others risked themselves just wasn't in his nature.

Moody's voice interrupted his inner struggle. "Right. We all know our battle plans. We're going for the capture, not the kill, unless it's unavoidable. And be absolutely sure to use nonlethal spells until we get Mrs. Malfoy and the boy clear of the place." Snape did not know how involved Narcissa was with the Dark Lord, but if his instincts were right, she was innocent. He definitely knew she didn't have the dark mark, but that was as far as his knowledge reached.

The group set out. The plan was for everyone to apparate to Farthing's Forest, which bordered the manor. Afterward, they would pair up and wait for Snape's signal. At the signal, each pair would apparate in together. One would put up shields around the pair while the other went on the offensive. Fabian and Gideon would locate Narcissa and her son and apparate them to auror headquarters. Moody would put up anti-apparition wards once the twins signaled they were clear.

Snape turned and disappeared. Not even a minute later, the coin began jingling in Moody's pocket. "Now!" he yelled, and they all turned and apparated into Malfoy Manor.

They arrived in a large living room. "Protego," the shields went up around each pair. Simultaneously, the other half of each team yelled, "Stupefy!" and "Incarcero!".

Sirius looked around quickly. He had managed to stun one of the LeStrange brothers, but he wasn't sure which. He followed up with "Incarcero", and the man was bound. Several other Death Eaters had been stunned, and a few were also bound. He saw Bellatrix dart out from the adjoining room.

"Avada kedavra!" she yelled. The spell was aimed at him, but he dodged it easily. Now that he had his bearings, he could cast nonverbal spells more easily, and he shot a jelly legs jinx her way. She deflected it and began dueling with him in earnest. Even in the heat of the duel, Sirius marveled at her skill. He longed to see what was going on around him, but he was forced to concentrate all of his attention on his insane cousin.

"Missing dear James, are you?" She taunted him as she laughed shrilly. "And his poor sweet wife! What was her name again? Tulip? Daisy?"

Instead of letting the taunts distract him, Sirius focused harder on getting through her defenses. Maybe if she continued trying to unnerve him, she might even become distracted herself.

Or not. He saw a flash of green light headed his way, and he barely dodged in time. _Bloody hell, that was too close!_ A moment later, Remus appeared at his side, and then they were dueling her together. Unfortunately, having two opponents only seemed to invigorate the mad witch. She cast two more avadas in quick succession, and they were forced to dodge again. Neither spell came terribly close to its mark, but it did serve the purpose of keeping them on the defensive. Sirius just hoped that their side was winning because he didn't hold any great amount of hope that even he and Remus together could beat her.

Remus and Sirius had dueled together many times before, though, and so they had an unspoken agreement that Remus would focus on defensive spells while Sirius went on the offensive. A stinging jinx caught Bellatrix on her wand arm. She yowled in pain, but it didn't slow her down.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed at Sirius. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to dodge the spell. He was enveloped in pain, and he cried out in agony. Bellatrix wore an expression of insane glee. Remus apparently thought that she would be distracted by the pleasure she took in the torture and the concentration required to continue the spell. He nonverbally shot off a stunner at her, but she took a measured step to the left without ever losing concentration. Remus tried again and again, but to no avail.

Sirius thought that he would lose consciousness soon, and then she would kill him. Even writhing in agony, he thought about Harry. He managed to get his wand up for a split second and cast a stunning spell at her. Remarkably, it found its mark, and Bellatrix collapsed. Remus followed up with an incarcero and she was bound.

"Sirius!" Remus was at his side. He was still lying on the cold marble floor. Every fiber of his body was stinging and sore with the after-effects of the torture spell. Remus pulled him into a sitting position and gave him a chocolate. Sirius laughed despite the pain he was in. He couldn't help but be amused at his friend's offering of what he obviously believed to be a panacea. He took the chocolate anyway. Oddly, it helped.

Remus was up again and in front of Sirius so that he could protect his friend. Dumbledore stood in the middle of the room and cast several incarcero spells at once. Two of the spells bound Death Eaters. Dumbledore continued firing off spells while effortlessly deflecting attacks from the Death Eaters.

Sirius tore his eyes away from the spectacle that was Dumbledore and looked around the room. No less than a dozen death eaters were bound. Snape was dueling with an enormous blonde Death Eater who looked like he wanted to eat him alive. McGonagall was at the top of the staircase dueling with an opponent out of his view. Moody was dueling with Lucius and another Death Eater Sirius didn't know. Peter was nowhere to be seen. Sirius tried to get up, but soon realized it was useless. He leaned around Remus and stunned one of Moody's opponents. Lucius made the mistake of glancing at his comrade, and Moody dropped him with a body-bind curse followed by an incarcero.

Moody looked around, saw that his friends had things under control, and began limping up the stairs to look in on McGonagall. Apparently, she mastered her opponent just before he began ascending the stairs, though. Sirius looked around again and saw that the only people standing were order members.

"Constant vigilance!" Moody called out. "Sirius, Remus, and I will stay here and look after this lot. Dumbledore, you and Snape go with McGonagall and check out the rest of the house. I want a head count of our side immediately. Fabian and Gideon made it out with Mrs. Malfoy and the boy, so that leaves 24 of us. I want to know casualties! Cast quick-heals on any of our side, and let's wrap this up!"

Moody trudged over to Sirius. "Crucio, yeah?"

Sirius nodded. "How many times?" Moody asked.

"Just once," Sirius replied.

"For at least five minutes, probably longer," Remus added. "I gave him a pain potion filled chocolate."

"I thought it was filled with rum! It was delicious!"

"Thanks!" Remus beamed.

"Remus, you can take your bows later. For now, help me look around and see if any on our side are hurt. Reinforce any bindings if any Death Eaters move a muscle." Moody began inspecting people lying on the floor.

"Renervate!" Remus said. "Looks like Frank was hit with a stray spell. His breathing is even, and his pulse is good, so I think he'll be okay."

"Good Godric, my head is killing me!" Frank exclaimed. He looked around. "How'd we do?"

"Just counting up, now," Moody said. "So far, it looks like having Snape and the element of surprise on our side worked in our favor."

Sirius chuckled to himself at Moody's penchant for understatement. Looking around the room, he counted 28 people on the ground, not counting himself and Frank. He heard some commotion from upstairs, though, so all was not over yet. He heard McGonagall cry out, and he bolted up from the floor to the stairs.

"Sirius, get back here!" Moody ordered, but Sirius ignored him.

He took the stairs two at a time. When he got to the top of the staircase, the hall was empty. He went to his left, the direction from which he thought Minerva's voice had come. He saw Gideon lying on the floor in the first room he came to. He had blood gushing from several wounds. McGonagall was kneeling beside him casting various healing spells, none of which seemed to be working.

"I don't understand it," she said.

Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the room. "Snape!" he called out. "Severus, get in here, quick!" Kingsley also knelt beside Gideon and began casting healing spells. He tried counter curses for the dark magic that he knew. Nothing seemed to be working, and he and Minerva were both covered in Gideon's blood.

"Should we try to get him to Mungo's?" Sirius asked.

"He won't make it." McGonagall and Kingsley replied almost simultaneously.

Snape appeared in the doorway. He was breathless from running, but he immediately gestured for McGonagall and Kingsley to get out of the way and began chanting in a sing-song manner. The blood started flowing back into Gideon. Sirius had never seen anything like it. After three repetitions of the chant, Gideon's wounds were healed and the color had returned to his cheeks.

"Merlin's bollocks!" Sirius exclaimed.

"He'll still need blood-replenishing potion," Snape said.

"What did you do? How did you do that?" McGonagall asked.

"It was one of my spells that did that, Sectumsempra," Snape said. Three heads snapped to stare daggers at him, so he added hastily, "I didn't perform it, I invented it. So I know the counter curse."

"Oh." Kingsley said. "You're gonna have to teach us that one."

"My pleasure," Snape replied. "For now, though, let's continue our search of the house."

At that point, Sirius collapsed onto the floor. He really didn't have any warning, but rather suddenly felt like his legs were unable to support him. He managed to get his hands in front of his face, so at least he didn't hit his head.

"We need to get both of these men to St. Mungo's as quickly as possible," Kingsley said.

"I'm all right," Sirius protested. "Finish searching the house. It's just the after-effects of the crucio. I think I was running on adrenaline for a few minutes after I heard Minerva's cry."

"Yes, that sounds likely," McGonagall replied. "I'll stay with Sirius and Gideon. You two continue the search."

Ten or fifteen minutes later, the order members were reassembled in the living room. Sirius and Gideon seemed to be the worst of the casualties. Dedalus Diggle had taken some sort of punching spell to the ribs, but Emmeline Vance had healed the broken ribs in a trice. Emmeline herself had various bruises and a few deep cuts, but she insisted that they were minor. A few others had cuts and scrapes, but the majority of the order was unscathed.

"Right, then," said Moody. "Anyone with any injuries whatsoever, even a scrape, get yourself to St. Mungo's for a look-over."

Several order members shouted protests at this directive, but Moody quieted them. "Shut it!" he yelled gruffly. "I'll brook no arguments on this. What we did tonight is nothing short of remarkable. At my count, the 26 of us captured 38 Death Eaters. No one on either side was killed. Mrs. Malfoy and her son were spirited away safely. To me, that sounds nigh on like a miracle, and I don't believe in miracles! So we play it safe and get every injury inspected! Constant vigilance!"

"Absolutely right," Dumbledore said in agreement. "Shall I accompany the injured while you and your uninjured aurors take the prisoners to Azkaban?"

Moody nodded his agreement, and the plan was put into action. Dumbledore took hold of Sirius and Gideon and apparated them to St. Mungo's. The remainder of the injured order members were strong enough to apparate on their own.

A few hours later, Frank, Sirius, Remus, and Fabian apparated to Longbottom Hall. Alice gave a cry of relief and threw herself into her husband's arms.

"We got your patronus that everything had gone well, but still I worried when you said you were at St. Mungo's," Alice said.

"Moody's orders," Frank said as he held his wife and kissed her forehead.

"Please, everyone, be welcome, and make yourselves comfortable." Augusta Longbottom gestured to the sitting area. "I'm sure everyone is hungry and thirsty. I've had the house elves prepare some food."

When everyone was seated, two house elves appeared with trays of sandwiches, fruit, cakes, and an assortment of drinks. Sirius helped himself to some food and looked around the room. He had never been to Longbottom Hall before. He marveled at the way the room was simultaneously grand and elegant while maintaining a cozy warmth. There was a roaring fire in the large fireplace, and a dozen or so couches and chairs were arranged in a semicircle around it. A long, low mahogany table sat in the middle of the semicircle. He reckoned that twenty-five to thirty people could sit comfortably in this room, yet it still felt intimate.

While they ate, those who had stayed with the children filled in the combatants on the happenings on the home-front, as it were. Alice and Molly chattered happily about how well the children had gotten along.

"Where are they now?" Sirius asked.

"Fast asleep in the nursery," Augusta answered.

"All of them?" asked Remus.

"Oh, yes! Longbottom Hall has a large nursery." Augusta smiled. "It warmed my heart to see it full." She looked rather pointedly at Frank and Alice.

Frank chuckled. "We'll try to fill it up, Mother, after all this business has passed."

"We will, will we?" Alice raised her eyebrows at her husband and he smiled as he pulled her closer to him. "But, seriously, Frank. I need details of the mission. What happened tonight?"

"Tonight was a roaring success!" Frank said triumphantly. "Oh, Alice, you should have seen Dumbledore! He did a spell I have never seen before. It was like there was a fiery whip coming out of his wand, and he swung it about and knocked out ten death eaters in the time it took me to draw breath in wonderment. I was gobsmacked!"

"I think that's when you got hit, eh Frank?" Remus teased him.

"Well, yes," Frank said sheepishly. "I couldn't help watching, though."

"I can't blame you, son," Augusta said. "I'd have liked to see that as well."

"Me, too," Sirius added. "Unfortunately, I was rather occupied with Bellatrix. We got her, though, and that's what matters."

"And you're sure Gideon will be all right?" Molly asked her brother for the third or fourth time.

"The healers at St. Mungo's just wanted to keep him overnight as a precaution, Molly," Fabian reassured her. "He'll be right as rain by morning."

"And Snape-Severus Snape saved his life?" Arthur asked.

It was Sirius who answered. "I could hardly believe it myself, Arthur. But I think he truly is a changed man."

After sharing the news of the evening, Alice and Frank encouraged everyone to stay the night so that they didn't have to wake the children. They all accepted gratefully and went to ready themselves for bed.

Although he was exhausted, Sirius paused to peek into the nursery. It was indeed full. There were four cribs along one wall and several other beds lined up along another wall. Toy chests and various toys were spaced along a third wall. The room seemed to emanate peace and comfort. He could hear the soft breathing of the sleeping children, and it warmed his heart. He had never really considered having children before, but now everything had changed, hadn't it?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After the mission, Severus Snape asked Moody if he could visit Narcissa and her son. He was concerned about them, and he wanted to see if they were all right. He also wanted to gauge how angry Narcissa was at him. Moody reluctantly agreed to take Snape to auror headquarters, where Mrs. Malfoy and Draco were being kept in protective custody.

As he waited outside the rooms in which Narcissa and Draco were being held, Snape paced nervously. He knew that the marriage between Lucius and Narcissa had not been a love match. Their families had betrothed them when they were still children. Narcissa was a year younger than Severus and five years younger than her husband. Severus had known her at Hogwarts, of course, but Narcissa had always been very quiet. Not shy, exactly, but quiet. Other students had called her cold or snobbish, but Severus had always thought of her as reserved.

Finally, after answering a dozen or more questions about his intentions regarding the visit, and also after being forced to surrender his wand for the duration of the visit, Severus was allowed in. He opened the door to a small but comfortable looking room. There was a crib, a bed, a couch, and a small table with two chairs and a high chair. Narcissa was bent over the crib making soothing sounds to a sleepy Draco. When she turned to see him, Severus could see that her eyes were red from crying.

"Oh, Severus!" she cried out upon seeing him. She rushed toward him and crushed herself against his chest. Her arms were gripping him tightly and she was crying softly. Snape hadn't really known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this. He encircled the woman with his arms and found himself reassuring her that everything would be all right.

Narcissa pulled away from him. Color flooded her cheeks, and Snape also saw that she had a large bruise on the right side of her face. "I'm terribly sorry, Severus. It's just so good to see you."

"There's no need to apologize. Let's sit, shall we?" He took her hand and led her to the couch. She sat, and he took the place beside her.

"What happened to your face?" He hadn't meant to blurt it out so, but he was worried. Had the aurors roughed her up?

She blushed even more than she had before and her hand went to the side of her face as though by hiding the bruise, she could distract him from it. "It's nothing."

"Narcissa, if these people have treated you ill, they'll have to answer to me. Please, tell me what happened!"

She began to cry again, and Snape handed her his handkerchief. "Thank you, Severus," she said. "It was—well, it was Lucius. He struck me. He's struck me before, of course, but not like this."

"Lucius?! Hit you?!" Inwardly, he cursed himself for sounding so idiotic, but he was horrified that his one-time friend would treat his wife in such a way. "How could he do that?"

"You know how he can be, Severus. He became so obsessed with serving the Dark Lord, with pureblood supremacy, and, well, I wasn't happy about it. I mean, everyone knows that purebloods are superior, but really, does that give us the right to terrorize and kill muggles and muggleborns? No, purebloods should serve as an example to the wizarding world. And _serving_ a lord? Disgusting! _I_ am of the noble and ancient house of Black, and Lucius' family can trace their pureblood lineage back centuries. We were _not_ born to be servants. Lucius was enraged when I expressed my opinion, of course. He tried to keep me away when those so-called Death Eaters came to the manor, but I was quite determined to find out more about their plans. Then, one night I overheard them talking about a prophecy and plotting to kill the Potters' son. I was horrified! To kill an innocent baby?! It was unthinkable, unconscionable!"

"So, when you questioned him, he-" Snape faltered, unable to finish the sentence.

"He hit me, yes. Then he took my wand and threatened to put me in the dungeons! I wanted to leave, to take Draco and just leave, but where could I go? My parents are dead, Wallburga wouldn't have me if I left my husband, Bellatrix…staying with her wasn't an option, either. So I was trapped. And then you came."

Snape took a deep breath. He had thought that the look on Narcissa's face had been one of relief when he apparated into the manor, but he had wondered if he wasn't just imagining it.

"Is the baby okay, the Potter boy?" Narcissa asked.

"Yes, he's fine. The Dark Lord killed his parents, but-"

"How awful! Don't tell me any more, Severus. Not about that. But, what happened after I was brought here?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to tell you that right now. In fact, they'll probably be coming to tell me our time's up soon." Snape looked into Narcissa's dark eyes, and they were so full of fear that he found himself wrapping his arms around her before he even thought about it. She clung to him and pressed her face into his chest. He stroked Narcissa's fine blond hair and held her for several minutes. He was overwhelmed with the need to protect her. He found himself hating Lucius, and that hatred drove away any guilt he had at betraying the man who had once been his friend.

"Narcissa, I want you to listen to me for a minute before our time is up. Please, I beg you, cooperate with the aurors. Tell them what you told me about questioning Lucius. Be honest about your views—they may not like the fact that you regard purebloods to be superior, but it's not a crime, either."

"I will, Severus. I never wanted that life. I thought that life with Lucius would be wonderful, that we would have beautiful parties and balls and travel the world. When he was courting me, he treated me like a princess. But then after we were married, all he wanted from me was a son. I've barely spent any time in Lucius' company since Draco was born, which is more than fine with me. I hope I never have to see him again."

"I hope so, too," Severus replied. The door opened then, and a guard informed them that their time was up. Narcissa flung herself into his arms again.

"You'll come back, won't you, Severus?"

"Of course. I will speak to Moody and see when I can come again. Tomorrow, probably. And you'll be back home soon. Everything will be all right." Severus gave her a little squeeze and then released her. She clung to him for a second more before she regained composure. She ran a hand along her robes to smooth them out as she rose.

"Thank you so much for coming." This time, Narcissa spoke as though he had been a guest at tea.

"Of course. Get some rest, and I will see you soon."

Moody was waiting for him outside. "What does she know? Was Voldemort there? Had she seen Pettigrew? What did you learn?"

Snape brushed him aside. He felt embarrassed that he hadn't thought to ask about the whereabouts of Pettigrew or the Dark Lord. "Not now, Moody. Your lackeys can question her after she's had some rest. Narcissa is exhausted and terrified. Lucius treated her badly, and I don't think she was involved at all. She certainly disagreed with targeting Harry."

"Did she, then?" Moody asked suspiciously.

"Yes, Moody, she did! I don't suppose you saw the large bruise on the side of her face! Lucius hit her when she voiced her disagreement!"

Moody's face contorted in disgust. "That slime! What kind of scum does that to his wife, the mother of his child!"

Snape was pleased to see that Moody's reaction was so similar to his own. "I can't imagine it," Snape said. "Moody, what happens now? When will she be released?"

"Several of us will question her in the morning. I'm also sending over a team to search the house from top to bottom for dark objects. If she isn't guilty of any crimes, she'll be released tomorrow evening or perhaps the following morning. Come for questioning if you like, but don't interfere or we'll toss you out on your arse."

Snape did return the following morning to attend Narcissa's questioning. Gone was the vulnerable, frightened young woman from the previous evening. The woman who sat before the questioners this morning epitomized poise, grace, and decorum. She agreed to the use of veritaserum as a matter of course and answered their questions in a calm, clear voice. Severus sat in a wooden chair a few feet away from her. Draco was asleep in his arms, and he felt captivated by the boy's mother.

After an hour or so of questioning, the aurors agreed to release Narcissa and her son on the condition that she wear a tracking device and agree not to leave the country. She would not be allowed back into Malfoy Manor until the aurors had concluded their search of the house. They also informed her that, according to the law, she would not be required to give testimony against her husband but that she could be called to testify against other Death Eaters. She gave them a stiff nod, collected Draco from Snape, and left the room.

Severus followed her out and called after her. "Narcissa." At his voice, she turned her head and waited for him. "Where will you go?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "An hotel, I suppose, for the time being."

"If you will permit me, I would gladly escort you."

Narcissa nodded. "That would be most welcome, Severus."

Narcissa apparated them to the grounds of a large, opulent hotel on the coast. Flowers of all sorts surrounded them, as well as well-manicured hedges shaped to resemble various magical bests. Narcissa strode over to a unicorn-shaped hedge and whispered something. A few moments later, a white carriage pulled by an actual unicorn appeared. The driver, a rather stunning young woman dressed in cream-colored robes, swooped down from her perch and opened the door to the carriage. She bowed low and bid them enter.

As soon as they were seated, the carriage disappeared and immediately reappeared at the doors to the hotel. Severus marveled that there was no feeling of discomfort as there was when one apparated. He kept his thoughts to himself, though, lest Narcissa think him some kind of bumpkin. She was clearly accustomed to this kind of grandeur.

A short, stout witch with a wide smile greeted them at the front desk. Her smile widened even more when she recognized Narcissa. "Miss Black! It has been too many years since we have seen you! I suppose it's not Miss Black, though, now is it? Malfoy, yes? Mrs. Malfoy! Well, you are most welcome whatever the name! And who is this young man?" She tousled Draco's hair.

Narcissa smiled at the older woman and held Draco so that she could see him better. "This is my son, Draco. Say hello, Draco, to Mrs. Hinton."

Draco turned his head to hide his face in his mother's shoulder. "Ah, then, well he's being a bit shy, I see. That's all right, then, love," Mrs. Hinton said.

"Severus, come meet a dear friend of mine. When I was a girl, my family often stayed at this hotel on holidays." Severus had been standing several paces back from Narcissa and Draco in order to give them privacy with the check-in process, but he stepped forward at Narcissa's urging. Narcissa introduced the two and asked Mrs. Hinton if it was too late for a bite of lunch. The older woman assured her that it would be their pleasure to serve them.

"Severus, you'll stay. My treat, of course. It's the least I can do after all of the kindness you've shown me."

They enjoyed a lovely luncheon of rare roast beef, potatoes, and green beans. The worry that had weighed Narcissa down seem to float away in the pleasant surroundings. The two friends talked easily about Narcissa's childhood holidays in the hotel and their time together at Hogwarts. Severus thought to himself that he couldn't remember when he had enjoyed himself more.

"If there is anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to owl me," he told Narcissa before they parted.

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Severus. We'll see each other soon, I hope."

Uncomfortably aware of the fact that he was blushing like a schoolboy, Snape nodded. He swallowed hard, determined to regain his composure. "Until then," he managed to say as he gave Narcissa a small bow. With that, he turned and left the hotel.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sirius arose early the day after the mission. He dressed quickly and went to the nursery to check on Harry and the other children. As he neared the nursery door, he could hear Harry crying. He opened the door to see a teddy bear floating toward Harry. Neville stood in his crib raising his hands in the air. When the bear landed in Harry's lap, he giggled.

"Tha-oo," Harry said to Neville. Neville smiled back at him and jumped up and down in his crib.

"I see you've made a good friend, Harry! Neville, that was very kind! Great use of magic, there, chum!" Sirius smiled at Neville as he scooped Harry up from his crib.

Molly and Alice entered the room. "Who used magic?" asked Molly.

"Neville, here. Harry was crying, and Neville levitated his teddy bear over to comfort him."

Alice rushed over to Neville, picked him up, and twirled around with him. "What a brilliant boy you are!" She kissed Neville all over his face, and the boy squealed in delight.

"First time using magic?" Molly asked as she bustled about the nursery, getting the children up and telling them it was time to head home.

"How could you tell?" Alice laughed. "Oh, I can't wait to tell Frank and Augusta! They'll be so pleased!"

Molly declined Alice's offer to stay for breakfast but agreed that they should get together again soon since the children had gotten along so beautifully. She and the children left via portkey. Sirius shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't made arrangements for a place for he and Harry to stay yet, but he didn't wish to tread on Alice and Frank's hospitality.

Alice had been about to leave the nursery. When she noticed that Sirius and Harry weren't behind her, she turned. "Come along, then. We don't want to let our breakfast get cold."

On the way down the stairs, she told Sirius that he and Harry were welcome to stay at Longbottom Hall as long as they wanted. "It's such a big place. We have plenty of room, and I would feel better with Harry close. I know you'll take good care of him, of course, but Lily was like a sister to me. And he and Neville are so fond of each other."

"I really appreciate it, Alice," Sirius thanked her. "I want to make sure that Harry is safe, and I'm not sure where to go yet. I suppose we could go to Grimmauld Place, of course. It is legally mine since my father died a few years ago, but I can't really see us coexisting with my mother, and I'm not heartless enough to chuck her out no matter how nasty she's been to me."

"No, of course you aren't!" Alice exclaimed. "I know you, Sirius Black, and although you play up the roguish bad boy act, you're really a sweetheart!"

Sirius didn't know quite how to respond to that, so he just continued down the stairs with Alice and the children. He plopped Harry down into one of the high chairs at the breakfast table and fitted a bib onto him. After surveying the food, he fixed Harry a bowl of oatmeal and gave him a spoon. Harry began banging his spoon lightly on the high chair tray. Neville's face lit up in a grin, and he joined in the fun.

"Drum," Neville said.

"Drum!" Harry agreed enthusiastically.

They were soon joined by Frank and Augusta, and Alice wasted no time in relaying the magic that Neville had performed in the nursery. Her eyes were shining with pride as she looked at her small son.

"Excellent, Neville!" Augusta praised him as she patted him on the head. "That's even younger than you, Frank. You were nearly two when you used magic to cover yourself up with a blanket one day.

Frank smiled at his son. "I'm very proud of you, my boy," he told Neville. "And I think it's wonderful that you used your magic to comfort your friend."

"Friend," Neville echoed.

"Yes, that's right, friend! Harry is your friend!"

Neville smiled a messy oatmeal smile. "Harry friend!"

After breakfast, Augusta asked to speak to Sirius alone. Alice raised her eyebrows at him and offered to take the boys outside to play. Frank said he had some paperwork to catch up on.

After the others had left, Augusta and Sirius sat at the table sipping coffee. Augusta eyed him appraisingly. Sirius felt like he was waiting to see how he had done on his NEWTs. For some reason, though, he didn't want to ask her what she wanted to talk about.

"You may not know it, but in my younger days, I was an auror. I helped defeat Grindewald's forces. Then, when I was expecting Frank, I took a desk job at the auror department. It meant more regular hours, and I still contributed a great deal to the magical world by researching dark magic, including curses and curse scars."

Sirius swallowed, but the lump in his throat wouldn't seem to go down. "Go on," he managed to say.

"I have seen a great many curse scars in my day, and I have never seen one like Harry's. I know how he got it, though."

"You do?"

"I do. I think it is one-of-a-kind. The avada kedavra curse has never left a scar, to my knowledge. Which is, as I have said, extensive." She sipped some more coffee. "The wand movement made when casting that dreadful curse is unique."

"Yes," said Sirius. "I've heard that."

"You've talked to Albus about this, I assume." It was more of a statement than a question, but Sirius nodded anyway. "May I know his theory?"

Sirius thought for a few moments. He hadn't really wanted for people to know that Harry had survived the killing curse. He was afraid people might get the wrong idea and think that Harry was some kind of hero, when really it was James and Lily who had been the heroic ones. Harry was just a baby. He didn't want Harry having that kind of pressure on him when he was so young.

"Sirius," Augusta interrupted his thoughts. "I only want to help the boy. I'll admit to professional curiosity as well, but, in the main, I merely want to learn what I can so that I can help."

Sirius looked into the woman's eyes and saw the truth of what she said. He nodded. "Well, yes, I suppose Harry and I need all the help we can get. And, actually, I think I would feel better if Alice and Frank knew the whole of it as well."

Later, after Harry and Neville were tucked in for their naps, Sirius told the whole story of how Harry had gotten his scar, how James and Lily were killed, and the conversation he and Remus had had with Dumbledore and Snape. He found himself staring into space as he recalled the night with as much detail as he could muster. His voice seemed to drone on and on, and he felt almost as if he were listening to himself speak rather than talking to other people. When he finished, he realized he hadn't moved a muscle the entire time he was speaking. His muscles felt stiff and sore. He felt tears fall down from his face and realized he was crying.

He turned to the others. Frank clenched his jaw and blinked back tears while Alice cried openly. Augusta's eyes were steely and she wore an unreadable expression.

"I understand it must have been incredibly difficult for you to relay the events of that night," Augusta said. "But I thank you for your trust in us, and I think that, with this knowledge combined with my own experience, I can help."

Sirius looked at her. "How?"

"Severus Snape used legilimency to look into the boy's mind. What I would do, with your permission, is to look into his scar. I think I can learn more about it, and if Dumbledore and Snape are correct in their conclusion that Voldemort is not entirely dead, we need all of the knowledge we can get."

"Mother's right," Frank agreed. "We also need to begin training Harry as soon as possible."

"But he's only a baby!" Alice argued. "He can barely walk!"

"I don't think Harry has even shown any sign of magic yet!" Sirius said. "How could we possibly begin training him?"

"It can be done," Augusta said. "But we can talk about that later. First, would you allow me to examine his scar?"

"Will it hurt him?" Sirius asked.

"It may be uncomfortable, but we can counter even that with a mild sleep spell. And I assure you, it will not harm him in any way."

"All right," Sirius agreed. Augusta got up from the couch. Sirius moved to stop her. "What, now?"

"No time like the present, my dear boy. I'll cast a mild sleep spell and bring him downstairs. Alice, Frank, get the curtains." Augusta continued up the stairs, and Alice and Frank hastened to obey.

"She's something else," Sirius remarked with a slow smile spreading across his face. "She reminds me a little of my own mum, but without being pure evil."

Alice giggled, and Frank swatted her lightly on the behind, although he was chuckling a bit himself. "My mother is a force to be reckoned with, that's for sure. Father used to tell stories from her auror days, back before I was born. He said he'd never seen anyone duel the way she did. Then, later, after she became pregnant with me, she dedicated herself to her research. If anyone can tell us about Harry's scar, it's my mum."

Augusta returned with Harry cradled in her arms. She held him one-handed and conjured a basinet, of sorts. It stood about chest-high and its sides were only slightly raised. She gently placed Harry on it and began waving her wand over the length of Harry's body while muttering something incomprehensible under her breath. After a few minutes, she concentrated her wand movement above his forehead and leaned over. Her muttering intensified without becoming any louder. After several more minutes, the air above Harry's head seemed to waver.

Sweat began dripping from Augusta's brow, and she brought a handkerchief out from the pocket of her robes to wipe it away. She stopped chanting. There was a small, shadowy figure that seemed to come from Harry's forehead. It hissed like a snake. Augusta jumped back for a moment, then quickly moved forward again to keep a hand on Harry. After the figure stopped its hissing, she began muttering and waving her wand again. The figure retreated into the scar. Harry fidgeted uncomfortably and tried to turn over, but Augusta kept her hand firmly on the child's chest. She nodded toward Sirius, and the air in the room seemed to grow lighter.

Sirius stepped forward, sensing that the spell was over. He gestured toward Harry with his arms out. Augusta nodded. "Take him," she managed to say.

Frank moved to his mother's side and guided her to the couch, where she promptly collapsed. Her eyes were glassy. Alice conjured a glass and filled it with an aguamenti spell. She handed it to her mother-in-law, who drank it greedily.

Sirius sat holding Harry. No one said anything for a few minutes while Augusta recovered. She drained the glass, and Frank refilled it for her. She drank more water and said, "Thank you."

Augusta took a deep breath and let out an even deeper sigh. "I think Dumbledore and Snape are correct, and Voldemort is not truly dead." She hung her head and sighed again. "And I think a part of him lives in Harry."

"What?" Sirius asked. "How is that possible? What do you mean, a part of him lives in Harry? Bollocks!"

But Augusta was no longer paying attention to him. She had her head stuck in the floo. Sirius paced back and forth, shooting a murderous glare at the woman's backside every so often. Finally, she stood up and informed them that Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Hagrid would be arriving momentarily.

A few seconds later, people began emerging from the fireplace. McGonagall managed the floo without the slightest bit of dust on her tartan robes and pointy hat. Sirius made a mental note to ask her how she did that. Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Snape arrived covered in soot. Hagrid bumped his head on the fireplace and started patting himself all over, which caused clouds of soot to fill the air. Snape raised his wand and vanished the soot from all of them.

"My dear Augusta," Dumbledore began politely. "If we could converse in private for a few moments, I would greatly appreciate it."

"There's a snowball's chance in hell of that happening," Alice muttered quietly to Sirius. They both giggled like school kids. Frank shot them a look.

"What is it the kiddies say nowadays?" Augusta asked rhetorically. "Oh, yes! Fat chance!" She laughed at her own joke for a moment, then softened her tone. "Now, Albus, I know you mean well, and you are, without a doubt, the most brilliant man I have ever known. If it weren't for the fact that you are fifty years my senior, not to mention the fact that you dance at the other end of the ballroom, well, I'd woo you."

Dumbledore coughed uncomfortably and shifted from side to side. Augusta seemed to be waiting for a response. "I hold you in high regard as well, madam." Dumbledore bowed slightly to the formidable woman.

"Yes, and with that said, I have a bit of constructive criticism for you. You are too secretive, too slow to trust, and too sure that you can handle everything on your own. You can't! The circumstances in which we find ourselves are too vast and too important for one person to handle. If we are to defeat Voldemort once and for all and keep young Harry safe, we all have to work together! Each of us has strengths, and if I am right in my suspicions, we'll need to take advantage of them all. Protections need to be revitalized and revamped, theories need to be discussed and researched, and Harry needs to be trained! The sooner the better!" Augusta had worked herself up into somewhat of a frenzy with her speech, and she wavered a bit on her feet. Clearly, she had not recovered from the toll taken by the magic she had used earlier. McGonagall caused an armchair to skid over behind her, and Augusta sat down rather hard. "Thank you!" she said.

Hagrid looked confused. He whispered to Sirius, "Wha's that mean, then? Dance a' the other end er the ballroom?" Sirius filled him in, and he looked even more confused. "Oh," he said.

Dumbledore took a breath, opened his mouth to speak, and shut it again. He repeated the process twice more before saying, "You may have a point, my dear Augusta."

Alice stepped forward. "Please, everyone, sit down and make yourselves comfortable. I'll call for some refreshment, and then we can discuss matters." Everyone moved toward the sitting area, and Alice called out, "Sprite, may we have tea, please?"

A house elf appeared and said, "Certainly, mistress!" She curtseyed and popped away.

"Now, then," Frank said. "I quite agree with my mother that we need to be open and honest with each other and pool our knowledge. I would also like some help strengthening the wards here at Longbottom Hall. Sirius has agreed to remain with us for the duration, and I want to make sure that the children are safe." He turned to his mother. "Could you share with us what you learned this afternoon?"

She nodded. "As some of you know, after I stopped working as an auror, I researched curses, and curse scars. Today, Sirius consented to allow me to examine Harry's scar, and I have never seen anything like it in my nearly thirty years of research. When I looked into his scar-"

"Looked into his scar?" Snape asked. "I didn't realize that was possible."

"I didn't either before today," Sirius said. The two men looked at each other, then quickly looked away. Obviously, they were uncomfortable with coming so close to agreeing with each other. Hagrid looked around the room, obviously bewildered.

"As I was saying," Augusta said with a sharp glance at Snape and Sirius, "when I looked into Harry's scar, I saw Voldemort. Then a miniature version of him misted out of the scar and spoke in parseltongue. It said-"

"You speak parseltongue, Mother?!" Frank asked in amazement.

"Not exactly, but I can understand a bit. If I understood the gist of it correctly, which I believe I did, it said that he would rise again and the prophecy would be thwarted. It tried to convince me to join him, which is preposterous, of course. Even if I were inclined to follow a dark lord, which I am most certainly not, but even if I were I sure as dragon scales wouldn't follow some misty figure coming out of a toddler's head!"

"Quite," McGonagall agreed. "But what does it mean? How can Harry have Voldemort in his head? Is he possessed?" She looked around the room, silently imploring someone to explain.

"Albus?" Augusta glared at Dumbledore. "You don't seem terribly shocked by this news. Everyone else in the room-well, except Snape, but he's hard to read-everyone else looks completely gobsmacked. What do you know?"

Dumbledore looked around the room, then looked at his lap and twiddled his wand a bit. "I don't know anything for sure, but this news comes close to confirming my suspicions." He looked down at his hands twiddling his wand and seemed to be having some sort of internal struggle before asking, "Have any of you heard of a horcrux?"

"A horcrux?!" Sirius exclaimed. "Surely not, Dumbledore! How could he have made Harry a horcrux?! He wanted to kill Harry! That doesn't make any sense."

Several people started speaking at once, asking what a horcrux was. McGonagall cut through the chaos with a sharp whistle. "Albus, would you kindly explain what a horcrux is, please?"

"Certainly, Minerva!" Albus nodded to her. He spoke in his most professor-like voice. "A horcrux is an object in which a wizard hides a bit of his soul. Should someone strike him in a normally fatal manner, the horcrux tethers his soul to this world, which in effect keeps him from final death. Although, the wizard would then exist in an abominable form unless and until the spell bringing him back to full life was performed."

The room sat in stunned silence. Sirius knew that everyone would need a moment for the information to sink in, but he really couldn't understand how Harry could possibly be a horcrux. He was about to draw breath to ask again when Sprite appeared with their tea. Alice thanked the elf and she popped away again. Hagrid had apparently given up on trying to understand the conversation, and he helped himself to tea and a large plate of sandwiches and cakes.

Dumbledore turned to Sirius. "To answer your question, Sirius, I don't believe that Voldemort meant to make Harry into a horcrux. Indeed, I am quite positive that his intention was to kill Harry that night. It may be that he had wanted to create another horcrux with Harry's killing, but I think that plan backfired and he left a bit of his soul inside young Harry instead."

"Professor?" Alice began, sounding like she was back in class again. "I have a few questions." Dumbledore inclined his head graciously, indicating for her to proceed. "First, you said that once a wizard has made a horcrux, he can't be killed. So, how do we kill Voldemort permanently? Do we have to destroy the horcruxes first?" Dumbledore nodded again, and Alice continued "Right, well, okay, then, how does one go about destroying a horcrux? And how does someone make a horcrux? And how would it be possible to create one accidentally?"

"Excellent questions, Alice, you always were a bright student!" Dumbledore said. "One creates a horcrux with an incantation that can either be spoken or nonverbal just before killing someone. As to how a horcrux can be destroyed, there are few substances which are effective. Fiendfyre, basilisk venom, and a few other particular nasty concoctions are the only ways to destroy an object that has been made into a horcrux. In the case of a living person or animal, the horcrux would be rendered inert at the time of death. And, as to your question about creating a horcrux accidentally, well, I am not certain, but I do have a theory."

Snape, who had been sitting perfectly still and silent since he had interrupted Augusta earlier, coughed and cleared his throat. Albus looked at him and the two men appeared to communicate nonverbally in some way. Albus nodded slightly, and Snape then said, "We believe that it was the Dark Lord's intention to create six horcruxes so that his soul was split into a total of seven pieces, as seven is generally considered to be the most magical number."

"Impossible! Ridiculous! There's no way!" Sirius burst out. "Few wizards have ever managed to create one horcrux without accidentally killing themselves in the process, much less six! How could he do that! The cost, the price of such a venture! Even he must know the price, the toll the creation of a horcrux takes on a wizard's humanity! He would barely be human! And his soul! His soul would be… completely unstable." Sirius had begun his speech as a rant, but as he realized how accurately he was describing Voldemort, his voice became slower and quieter. Someone started to speak, but he held one hand up for silence as his other hand cradled his head as if the weight of it were too much for his neck to support. He looked up at Dumbledore with bleary eyes full of sorrow and understanding. "So that's it, then. His soul was so unstable that a bit of it broke off and attached itself to Harry. Souls are accustomed to being in people, not objects, so without him directing the piece of soul, it latched onto my godson!"

Dumbledore's face looked stricken, and he heaved a great sigh. "That is my theory, yes," he said.

Hagrid's face had turned a bit green. "Tha's disgustin', tha' is. Li'l Harry with a bit er tha' villain in 'im." He put down his sandwich and looked at it with revulsion.

"How do we extract Voldemort's bit of soul from Harry without hurting him?" Alice asked.

"I don't know," Dumbledore responded in a small voice.

"How do we find the other horcruxes?" Frank asked.

"I don't know that, either," Dumbledore said. "I have been collecting memories of the man once called Tom Riddle for a long time-ever since I met him, in fact-and I have some hope that those memories could provide clues as to what the other horcruxes could be."

The gravity of the situation weighed on the room like a lead blanket. Everyone seemed to be looking around the room. McGonagall was slumped in her chair, deflated. She seemed to realize it and straightened herself up so that her posture was perfect again. She took a breath. "Albus, what effect will it have on Harry? Having that bit of soul in him?"

"Unfortunately, Minerva, I don't know that, either."

"That is extremely disconcerting," McGonagall replied. She took another deep breath. "Right, then, we must focus on what we can control and what we do know, and go from there. We will form theories, test them, discard them, if necessary, and try again. We need to keep a close watch on Harry, as well."

"I should go check on the boys, now, in fact," said Alice. "They should be up from their naps soon." Alice scurried up the stairs, eager to take some sort of action.

The others busied themselves with the tea, sandwiches, and cakes that had been sitting mostly untouched since Sprite brought them in. Sirius could not consider eating anything. His stomach churned, and he got up to follow Alice. McGonagall stopped him with a tug on his robes, then completely shocked Sirius by enfolding him in a hug. His hands hung at his sides for a moment before he returned the embrace. He couldn't remember the last time someone had held him like this, and tears sprung to his eyes.

McGonagall felt him tense up and try to pull away, but she held him fast for a few more moments before releasing him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sirius Black, I have watched you grow from an unruly eleven-year-old to an arrogant teen to a reckless young man to the man you are today. I am proud of you, and I know you are equal to this task. What I want you to remember, though, is that you are not alone. We're all here to help you…and Harry, of course."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Call me Minerva, Sirius. You've earned it."

Alice descended the stairs holding the hands of both Harry and Neville. The toddlers took the stairs one at a time, so their descent was quite slow, but both boys wore expressions of pride and joy at their independence. Harry let go of Alice's hand after the last step and ran to Sirius.

"Si-us!" Harry exclaimed, and his godfather scooped him up and kissed him on the forehead. The group of adults began fussing over and talking to the two toddlers, who lapped up the attention with glee.

"I think we all have a great deal to process, and these two need some attention," Frank said. "What do you say to helping with the wards and calling it a day. You're all welcome to stay and visit, of course, but I don't think we should discuss any of the other business around the children."

"Of course," Dumbledore agreed. "What do you have in mind for the wards, Frank?"

"Well, the most secure option would be a blood-key." Frank had previously been reluctant to such an extreme measure, but he felt the circumstances warranted it.

"Do you have the necessary supplies?" Snape asked.

Frank nodded. "We had considered it before, but now-"

"I'll get everything ready," Augusta said as she bustled from the room. She returned moments later carrying a glass dome, a silver needle, and a dark wooden plate.

"There are three steps to the process," Alice began explaining for the benefit of those unfamiliar with a blood-key. "The first step is to take a drop of blood from each person who we wish to be able to enter our home directly and place it on the rowan-wood plate. Then, each person vows only to enter the home in the spirit of friendship with those who dwell within. Finally, the inhabitants of the home encircle the plate, say the incantation, and cover it with the glass dome."

"Wha' about Remus?" Hagrid asked.

"He wasn't able to be here today," Sirius said. The first night of the full moon was that evening, and Remus was suffering the intense headache and body aches that accompanied his impending transformation. "But we can add him to the blood-key later, can't we?"

"Yes, of course," Frank assured him. "Others can be added as long as all inhabitants of the home agree."

Augusta pricked her finger and placed a drop of her blood on the plate. She passed it to Frank, who did the same before passing it to Alice. After Sirius added his blood, he and Frank pricked Neville and Harry's fingers while Alice distracted them. She cast a healing spell on each of their fingers immediately after and gave them each a biscuit. The boys sat on the rug munching their treats while the others added drops of their blood to the plate.

"Wha' happens now?" Hagrid asked.

"Anyone who doesn't live in the house makes a promise to enter only in the spirit of friendship to its inhabitants."

"Right." Hagrid said.

Sirius began to make his vow, but Frank interrupted him. "Sirius, you live here," Frank said. "The house has recognized both you and Harry as permanent members of our household since you accepted Alice's invitation to stay."

Sirius could feel himself flush, and he thanked Alice and Frank again for their hospitality. "I hadn't realized…" he said. "I mean, I thought Harry and I were guests, so…"

"You and Harry are family now," Alice assured him. She gave Sirius' shoulder a squeeze.

Sirius felt tears come to his eyes, and he blinked them back. He swallowed. "Thank you," he said in a small voice. After his mother and father had disowned him, he had been unofficially adopted by the Potters, but he had always felt tainted by his relations. In his teenage mind, he had been unworthy of being part of such a wonderful, loving family. Now, it seemed, he and Harry were being accepted as Longbottom family members despite the fact that there were so many unknowns. Harry was a horcrux, and none of them really knew how that would affect him. The Longbottoms' kindness overwhelmed him.

"Sirius," Augusta placed an arm around his shoulder and guided him over to the plate where it sat on the coffee table. "It's time to say the incantation."

Sirius turned to look at her. Apparently, he had missed the others pledging their friendship. Augusta held Harry's hand, and now they, along with Frank, Alice, and Neville, were standing around the plate. Frank held the glass dome in his hand.

"We need to say the incantation in unison," Alice told them. She taught it to them, then the adults all said, "Non imbuere illa Rowan ligna ad introitum nostrum ad terminum qui bibit sanguinem ligno!" Frank placed the glass dome over the plate, and it emitted a silver glow that lit the room brightly for several moments. It was almost painful to view, then the light diminished to a soft glow.

"It is done. Thank you all."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sirius held Harry and greeted guests as they arrived at the small chapel in Godric's Hollow. Dumbledore had obtained permission to cast an undetectable extension charm on the building, but Sirius feared they still might not have enough room. He was moved at the number of people who turned out today to say farewell to Lily and James Potter. Minerva had helped him write their obituaries for _The Daily Prophet_ and _The Quibbler_ , and it seemed that at least half of the wizarding community had chosen to attend the funeral.

Sirius spotted a familiar face in the queue and smiled at her. It had been ages since he had seen his cousin Andromeda. Her husband Ted stood beside her holding the hand of their little girl. Sirius thought that Nymphadora must be around seven or eight now, but he wasn't sure. When the family reached Sirius and Harry, his cousin embraced him warmly and Ted shook his hand.

"Sirius," Andromeda said, "It's been too long. How are you? And how's little Harry?"

"We're all right," Sirius said. "So much has been happening, I don't think I have had time to grieve yet. Not really, anyway. And Harry, well, he's too young to really understand any of it."

Andromeda smiled sympathetically and hugged him again. "I guess we better get inside. We're holding up the queue."

Sirius stopped her. "'Dromeda," he said, "have you spoken to your sister? Narcissa, I mean?"

Andromeda gave a brief, mirthless chuckle. "Not since my family disowned me. Why?"

Sirius guided her and her family into a small side room. He took a breath. "Narcissa will likely be here today, 'Dromeda." His cousin's eyebrows shot up and her eyes grew wide. "She's not with Lucius any more. In fact, he's in Azkaban. You may have read about it in the paper. Anyway, Severus asked if she could attend. Apparently, she tried to stop the attack on Lily and James, and Lucius hit her, stripped her of her wand, and threatened to lock her in the dungeons."

Andromeda's jaw had dropped. She closed her mouth, then opened it again. She blinked several times. "I'm trying to decide which of those statements is more odd." She furrowed her brow. "Severus? Snape? Asked you if he could bring my sister to your best friend's funeral?"

Sirius laughed. "We have a great deal to catch up on, I see. Well, here's the nutshell version: Snape was in love with Lily and is heartbroken that she died. He helped arrest Lucius and his Death Eater friends. I think he felt guilty at first of depriving Narcissa and Draco of their husband and father, so he has been visiting with them. Narcissa is apparently not at all saddened by her husband's imprisonment and her friendship with Severus has grown."

"What about your friendship with _Severus_? I don't think I've ever heard you call him that before. Isn't he usually Snivellus or Snivelly to you?"

"Things change, 'Dromeda, and while I don't think of Severus as a friend, exactly, he's no longer my enemy, either." Sirius realized the truth of his own words as he spoke them, and he shook his head slightly. "Anyway, I just thought I should break the news so you weren't completely shocked when you saw her."

"Thanks, cuz," Andromeda said. "I suppose we should be seated. The service will start soon. I'll see you after." She held her hand out for her daughter to take. "Come along, 'Dora."

Nymphadora had been sitting on the floor with Harry. Her hair was the color of pink cotton candy, and Harry was giggling at her. At her mother's summons, her hair turned brown again and she kissed Harry on the forehead before rising and walking to her mother's side. "See ya, Harry!"

"Bye-bye," Harry smiled after the little girl.

Sirius took Harry by the hand and led him back out into the chapel. It was full to bursting, and Sirius felt a wave of affection for all of the people who shared his love for Lily and James. He walked to the front of the chapel and turned to face everyone. The room quieted.

"Good morning, everyone. Harry and I want to thank you all for coming today." Sirius paused and looked out into the crowd. His eyes had filled with tears, and he blinked them back. "I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about Lily and James, who were two of my best friends. I met them when I was eleven and on my way to Hogwarts for the first time. James and I were fast friends. Lily had a bit more sense than to become entangled with two such obnoxious boys, but we grew on her as the years went by." There were polite chuckles from the crowd.

Sirius continued, "Over the years, Lily and James became more than friends to me, they became my family. When my own family disowned me, James and his parents took me in. James treated me like the brother he never had. And at Lily and James' wedding, well, I don't know if I have ever been happier, other than maybe at the birth of their son, my godson Harry." Sirius looked into the crowd again and saw Snape sitting near the back of the chapel with Narcissa at his side. He had asked Snape if he wanted to speak at the funeral, but the man had declined.

"During the past year, my friends were targeted by the most evil wizard we've ever had the misfortune to encounter. He wanted to kill their son. Lily and James died protecting their boy, and, at least temporarily, they defeated his would-be killer." Quiet murmurs came from the crowd, but Sirius ignored them. Images of Lily and James' lifeless bodies sprang to his mind, and he shook with unwept tears. He knew there was no way he was going to be able to speak much longer. "I'm sorry," he said. "There was so much more I wanted to say today, but I don't think I can. I'll just close with this: if you want to honor these two wonderful, brave, loving people, the best way you can do so is by keeping love in your heart and standing against the dark wizards in this world who wish to take that love away from us."

Sirius succumbed to tears, then, and Remus was at his side, putting an arm around his shoulder and leading him to the front pew for him to sit down. Alice got up to speak next, and the crowd cried and chuckled appropriately as she spoke lovingly of her best friend. Sirius tried to pay attention, but he found himself unable to do so. Remus, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Slughorn spoke as well. Sirius caught snippets of what they said, but mostly the service passed in a blur. Harry sat quietly on his lap, and Sirius wondered what he thought about all of this.

After the service, guests were invited to lunch at Longbottom Hall. Socializing ranked close to last on the list of things Sirius felt like doing, but he felt it was his duty. He surveyed the room of people and wondered how long he had to stick around before he could retreat to the quiet of his bedroom. Remus strolled over to him and put his arm around him. "I know what you're thinking, mate, but we're all here for the same reason."

Sirius looked a question at him. "What?"

"To mourn." Remus' eyes shone with unshed tears. Sirius nodded at him, and the two men hugged each other tightly. "Where's Harry?"

"He's in the play room with all of the other kids. Molly and Arthur are with them. Fabian and Gideon, too, I think."

"Did you see that Narcissa came to the funeral with Severus?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrows.

Sirius sighed. "I know what you're thinking, Remus, but don't start trying to play matchmaker. Her husband's just been locked up, for Merlin's sake!"

"Who said I was thinking of playing matchmaker?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, but stopped himself from replying when he heard the tinkle of a small bell ringing. The room quieted, and Alice informed them all that lunch was ready. Remus and Sirius filed into the large dining room with the other guests. Sirius saw that there was a children's table set up and that Harry was seated between Ron and Neville. He chose the seat nearest the children's table so he could keep an eye on Harry and was shocked to see that Narcissa sat down opposite him. He looked over at the children's table again and saw a toddler with white-blonde hair sitting next to Neville. He assumed it was Narcissa's son Draco.

"Thank you for letting me come, Sirius," she said. "I would have understood completely if you hadn't wanted me to."

"Not at all," said Sirius. "It's nice to see you again. How are you and Draco holding up?"

"Surprisingly well, actually. But, today, of all days, let's not speak of me. How are you?"

The warmth in Narcissa's eyes surprised Sirius. Maybe motherhood had softened her. "I'm not sure, really," he answered honestly.

"I know our history has been rather spotty, but I'd love the chance to reconnect. We _are_ family after all. And, of course, I wanted to convey my deepest condolences to you and Harry."

"Thank you," Sirius replied. "Have you seen Andromeda yet?"

Narcissa's face flushed as she shook her head. "Ah, I see. You're practicing reconciling with family on me?" Sirius asked with a grin.

Narcissa chuckled. "Something like that, I suppose," she admitted. "Oh, Merlin, how awful of me! I hadn't even realized it, but I think you're right. I guess I'm a bit nervous to speak to her again, and I do so want her back in my life."

"It's all right," Sirius reassured her. "We'll catch up to her after lunch. It will be okay."

Severus came to the table and took a seat to the left of Narcissa. He raised his eyebrows at Sirius, who interpreted the gesture as him wondering if he should ask about their discussion. Sirius gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, and Severus nodded once.

"It was a lovely service, Sirius. Thank you," Severus said.

"Minerva arranged most of it," Sirius told him. "She and Remus."

After a rather tense lunch filled with small talk, Sirius made good on his word to Narcissa. As they approached Andromeda, Sirius sensed that his younger cousin was considering backing out of talking to her sister. He put an arm around her and steered her over to where Andromeda stood.

"Sister!" Andromeda called out, and she rushed to embrace Narcissa.

Sirius wondered how much of Andromeda's actions emanated from a desire to make Narcissa feel even more uncomfortable until he saw tears in her eyes. Both women were speaking quickly at the same time, apologizing, hugging each other, and crying.

Sirius felt like he had done his good deed for the day, and he went out into the gardens where the children were playing. As he shivered in the brisk November air, he considered going back inside for a jacket but then rejected the idea. He heard Harry and the other children laughing as they took turns riding on his toy broom. Frank and Hagrid were supervising, and both men raised a hand in greeting.

"I put a cushioning charm on the grass," Frank told Sirius as he approached.

Sirius laughed. "The silly thing doesn't go more than a foot in the air, Frank!"

Harry zipped by on the broom, giggling maniacally. "I' goes pre'y fas', though," Hagrid said, and Sirius had to admit that was true.

"My turn!" Ron called out as Harry whipped past him. Harry turned on a dime and passed the broom off to his new friend.

"Never seen a kid take to er broom so well," Hagrid commented. "Nice ridin', there Harry!"

Ron rode more cautiously, but he seemed to enjoy himself quite as much as Harry had. Squeals of delight bubbled out of the small ginger-haired boy as he flew around the garden. He circled a tree and came back to give Neville a go.

"This is actually the kind of thing I was talking about when I mentioned training Harry," Frank said in a low voice. "Nothing formal, really, but making sure to gear playtime to learning useful activities. Flying, conditioning him with miniature obstacle courts, and teaching him some basic self-defense. That sort of thing."

"What about magic?" Sirius asked.

"When it manifests, we could encourage it. Children do wandless magic naturally, so maybe we could help it along somehow."

Sirius nodded. As long as they could make it fun for Harry, he supposed it couldn't hurt to start training him. It was only when he thought of _why_ they needed to train him that Sirius' stomach sank. He still didn't understand the whole prophecy thing. He didn't want that burden for his godson, and he thought that maybe he should be doing some training of his own.

After the guests had gone and the children were tucked in bed, Sirius, Remus and Frank sat around talking. "D'you remember the time James talked the Fat Lady into using the phrase "I love James Potter" as the Gryffindor password?" Remus asked.

"Merlin, yes!" Frank said. "How did he manage that, anyway?"

"Dunno," Sirius said, shaking his head. "He always was a charmer, though. Girls fell at his feet, even the Fat Lady. Except for Lily, and even she eventually fell for him."

"I'll never forget the sight of Lily sitting outside Gryffindor tower that week! How she refused to utter the password and instead just waited for someone else to come along," Frank laughed. "And how the Fat Lady kept trying to get her to say that she loved James." Frank tried to imitate the Fat Lady's voice, "'Come, now, dear! He's a bit of a rogue, but I've seen the way you look at him. You fancy him, love! Just say it!'"

"Well, she did love him. She just wasn't ready to admit it yet." Sirius said.

"She said it once that week, actually," Remus confided. "She didn't know I was there. I'd borrowed the cloak, and I was coming round the corner when I heard her whispering it. But the sincerity in her voice stopped me in my tracks."

Sirius brushed away a tear. "Did you tell James?"

Remus shook his head. "I didn't want to inflate his ego any further. I finally convinced him to give up his antics and let her come to him in her own time."

Sirius smirked. "As if that argument didn't inflate his ego."

"Remember when she finally came around, though?" Frank asked. "That day she asked him for help on that spell she was having trouble with in Defense class?"

"How could I forget?" Sirius replied. "None of us got a wink of sleep that night! He kept going on and on about how she called him by his first name and asking us if we thought that meant that she was finally warming to him."

"And him actually asking for advice about what to wear to their study date, and what to say and how to act!" Remus said, chuckling slightly at the memory.

"I just can't believe they're gone," Sirius said.

"I know, mate. I know." Remus replied.

The three men sat in silence for a while, each of them lost in silent remembrance of their friends. Frank stared into the dying fire until his eyes burned and watered. He wiped away the tears, then stood and poured three glasses of firewhiskey. He handed a glass to Sirius and Remus, then held his own up. He cleared his throat and said, "To James and Lily!" Remus and Sirius echoed him, and the three men drained their glasses in large gulps.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 **Author's Note: Hello! Thanks to everyone who has been reading my story. This is my first fanfic, and I am very much enjoying myself. I'd love to hear what you think, so if you have a moment to review, I would definitely appreciate it!**

A tapping sound at his window awakened Sirius early the next morning. He stretched, rubbed his eyes, and pulled on his dressing gown before making his way over to the window. He opened it, and a tawny owl flew in and landed on the perch that sat by the window. Sirius fished out an owl treat from the container next to the perch and gave it to the owl. The bird hooted softly and offered his leg to Sirius, who untied the letter. He broke the Hogwarts seal, read the letter, and frowned. It was from Dumbledore, asking him to visit him at Hogwarts at his earliest convenience. He'd hardly spoken to Dumbledore at the funeral the day before, and Sirius thought it strange that his former professor would need to speak to him so soon.

He dressed quickly and looked in on Harry and Neville in the nursery. Both boys were still asleep, so he continued downstairs to see if anyone was up yet. He found Alice sitting in the library with a large book on her lap. She was still in pajamas and a dressing gown, and her bleary eyes made Sirius wonder if she had gotten much sleep.

"Good morning," he said.

She jumped a little, then turned and smiled at him. "Good morning. You're up awfully early."

"So are you. What's that?"

"A book," she said with a smirk. "Although I don't recall you ever studying in school, I'd have thought you would be able to identify a book, at least."

"Oh, ha ha. It's a bit early for sarcasm, don't you think?"

"It's never too early for sarcasm," she replied. "What have you got planned for today?"

"Dumbledore wants to see me. He sent a letter this morning asking to see me 'at my earliest convenience'."

"Wonder what that's about," Alice said. "I can look after Harry so you can go."

"Thanks, Alice. I just peeked into the nursery, and he and Neville are still sleeping. I'll let you know if I'm going to be gone for more than an hour or two."

"No rush. We'll be fine here. Frank's going into work for a bit, but Augusta and I can manage the boys for a while."

"Are you sure? What about you? Don't you need to go to work?"

Alice closed the book and laid it on the table next to her. "Actually, I've been thinking about following in my mother-in-law's footsteps and retiring. As an auror, I mean. Frank and I have talked about it quite a lot lately."

Sirius didn't have to think hard to come up with the likely reason why Alice was considering stepping down as an auror. He was sure that it was because she didn't want her son to end up an orphan like Harry. "That's a big decision."

"It is, but it feels like the right time. Frank will probably have to go abroad on missions to track down the last of the Death Eaters, and I don't want to be that far away from Neville. Or Harry, really. And I'd like to put all of my efforts into stopping Voldemort for good."

Sirius nodded. "Me, too. Alice, I can't tell you how much I appreciate all you and your family are doing for Harry and me."

"Nonsense. Like I said before, you're family," Alice said. She bit her lip and looked away for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.

She drew a long breath. "Did Severus tell you what the prophecy said?"

"Yeah, he said Harry was going to bring down Voldemort."

"But did he tell you the whole prophecy?"

"No, why?"

"Well, the prophecy didn't mention Harry by name. I can't remember it verbatim, but it described a child born in late July to parents who had thrice defied Voldemort." Alice looked down at the floor for several moments before looking back up at Sirius.

He furrowed his brow. "When was Neville born?"

"Good Godric, you're quick!" she exclaimed. "July 30th, the day before Harry."

"So you think it could have referred to Neville instead?"

She shook her head. "No. Severus explained that at one point, it could have meant Neville, but now that Voldemort tried to kill Harry, it has to be him."

"I don't understand," Sirius said. "Why?"

"Honestly, I don't understand it myself. Get Severus to explain it to you while you're at Hogwarts. I think he's still staying there."

"You sure you'll be okay if I go?"

"Absolutely," Alice assured him. "See you later."

"Okay. Just floo-message Dumbledore's office if you need me."

"Of course."

Sirius felt strange about leaving Harry even though he knew Alice would take good care of him. He reasoned with himself that he would be back soon, grabbed a bit of floo powder, stepped into the fireplace and said, "Hogwarts. Headmaster's office."

Dumbledore was pacing his office when Sirius arrived. "Ah, Sirius! Thanks so much for coming so quickly. The owl's not even back yet!"

"Of course," Sirius replied. "What did you want to see me about?"

"Please, be seated." Dumbledore indicated an armchair, and Sirius sat. "Would you care for tea? Breakfast?"

Sirius felt his stomach rumble. He hadn't taken the time to eat. "Tea and toast would be great, actually."

"Certainly." Dumbledore called for a house elf and asked him to bring them tea and toast. He took a seat in the chair opposite Sirius. "Am I correct that you have been walking out with a young lady named Catharine recently?"

Sirius smiled at the antiquated phrase. "Yes, she's a muggle girl I met while laying low-wait, how'd you know about Catharine?"

Dumbledore smiled at him. "She owled me yesterday. She's worried about you, and I didn't know quite how to respond to her, so I asked her to visit me here at Hogwarts."

Sirius' mind whirled with questions. "She _owled you?_ How is that possible?"

Sirius couldn't read Dumbledore's expression. The older man rose and began pacing again. "You see, Sirius, not all parents wish for their children to be schooled at Hogwarts."

 _What? Has the old man lost his mind?_ "Yeah, I know that. I had a cousin whose parents homeschooled her."

"Yes, well, in some cases, the parents don't have the knowledge to homeschool their children. For instance, when the child's parents are muggles." Dumbledore stopped pacing long enough to take the tea tray from the house elf who appeared, and he poured them both tea. "Do you take milk or sugar?"

"A little of both, please," Sirius replied automatically. "Dumbledore, what are you talking about?"

The headmaster handed him his tea and sat down opposite him again. "Ten years ago, I went to London to deliver a Hogwarts letter to a muggle-born girl and her parents. The parents were quite accepting of their daughter's magical abilities. More so, in fact, than most parents I have encountered over my long career. However, they could not be convinced to allow their only child to attend Hogwarts. They felt that she was too young to be away from them for so long. Initially, they said that their daughter might be allowed to attend Hogwarts in a few years, but, as time went on, it became apparent that they could not bear to part with their little girl even for a few months' time." Dumbledore paused to take a sip of tea. "Now, as you may know, horrible things can happen to children who have no direction for their magical abilities." Sirius nodded. "So, with her parents' permission, of course, I cast a spell on Catharine enabling her magical abilities to manifest naturally in a way that required little training."

Sirius frowned at his old headmaster. He had never heard of such a thing. "In what way is that?"

There was a knock at the door, and Dumbledore called out, "Enter!"

A petite young woman with dark hair walked in and shut the door behind her. "Cat!" Sirius greeted her as she embraced him.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Sirius! Did you tell him yet, Albus?" Catharine raised her eyebrows at Dumbledore. "No, okay. Well, here goes...Sirius, I'm an empath."

"An empath?" Sirius repeated. "What's that?"

"Well, basically, it means that I can feel what other people feel. I know, you're confused." Cat sighed. "I really wanted to tell you before, but I just wasn't sure how to bring it up. I knew you were a wizard, but I also knew you wanted to keep it a secret."

"You knew I was a wizard? So, I don't understand...you can tell what I'm thinking?"

"No, not exactly. Although sometimes, thoughts become so intense that they are similar to feelings, and then I can pick up on them." She seemed to be floundering for a better explanation. "Thoughts are more linear than feelings. Just as an example, if you were thinking 'I really wish I could do magic right now', generally speaking, the only thing I would feel from you is longing. But, sometimes, and especially in your case, the longing was tied so strongly to magic that I could feel both. Also, I was already aware of the magical world's existence, so I was probably more receptive."

"That makes a little more sense," Sirius said. "What are you doing here? Why'd you contact Dumbledore?"

She took his hand. "I was worried about you. You just disappeared. We were supposed to go to that party after I got off work on Halloween night, and you never showed. Then I felt all this grief and sadness from you. That's unusual, because usually I have to be in the same room with someone to feel what they're feeling, but it was really strong. I was fairly sure that someone in your family must've died, and I tried to just be patient...oh, you weren't going to contact me again, were you?"

"There's a lot going on right now," Sirius told her.

"And you aren't sure if you can trust me with it. Or if you want me around at all." She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and said, "I'm sorry. I can usually control my empathic ability, but right now, for some reason, it seems impossible."

"Were I to hazard a guess, I would say that your inability to control your power is due to the fact that you are inundated with residual magic. It fairly well hangs in the air around Hogwarts."

"That makes sense!" Cat smiled her relief. "Anyway, look, Sirius, you don't owe me anything. I mean, we'd only been seeing each other for a few weeks. I like you, a lot actually, but mostly I just wanted to know that you were okay."

Sirius didn't know what to do. He had enjoyed spending time with Cat, and he really liked her as well. He just wasn't sure how she fit into his life. He looked at her, saw her looking out the window of Dumbledore's office, pointedly not making eye contact with him. She looked so vulnerable, and so beautiful. He thought about their last night together, and how they had fallen asleep in each other's arms. He felt his body react to the memory, and he saw that she was grinning and blushing. Dumbledore turned away from them and began rearranging the items on his desk. Several uncomfortable moments passed.

"Perhaps you would like to take Catharine into Hogsmeade and show her the sights?" Dumbledore suggested. Obviously, he wanted to get rid of them.

"Yes, that's a great idea," Sirius agreed. "How about it? Want to try a butterbeer?"

"Sure!"

They thanked Dumbledore and left his office. After they were outside the castle, Sirius took Cat's hand and began telling her a very altered version of the past week. He told her about Lily and James dying, about Harry being his godson, about the funeral. He didn't tell her anything about Voldemort, or the raid at Malfoy Manor, or about he and Harry going to live at Longbottom Hall. She expressed her sympathy and concern, but she didn't ask any questions. Sirius was surprised at how good it felt to be able to talk to someone who wasn't so involved with everything. How very freeing it felt to be able to express his grief to someone who didn't also feel it. Except she did because she was an empath.

"What am I feeling right now?" he asked her.

"It's not a parlor trick, you know." Her smile softened the reprimand, and he gave her his most pleading look. "Oh, all right! Right this second, what I am getting from you is relief. There's a lot of other stuff going on, too: pride in your godson, grief over your friends, worry about the future, and doubt about how much to tell me. It's okay, you know. I don't expect you to tell me everything. I understand we haven't known each other very long."

"Thanks," he said. They had barely gotten into Hogsmeade, which was fairly quiet since it was a weekday. He pulled her to him and kissed her, a slow, gentle kiss. She grinned as they broke apart.

"Wanna know what you're feeling now?" she asked with mischief in her eyes.

"Stop!" he said.

They went to The Three Broomsticks, and Sirius ordered butterbeers for them and guided her to a booth. She sipped her drink and said, "Wow, that's delicious! Do you mean to tell me I could have been drinking this since I was eleven? I've got a bone to pick with my parents!"

Sirius laughed. "Are you angry at them, though, for keeping you from coming to Hogwarts?"

She shook her head. "No, I had a great childhood. And I can't blame my parents for not wanting me to go. I mean, they were pretty cool about my magic. They didn't try to change me or bring the vicar round to exorcise me or anything. But then this old man shows up in purple robes saying I'm a witch and they should let me go to school somewhere they have never heard of before? Honestly, I'm surprised anyone's parents go for that!"

"I hadn't ever thought of it that way before, but you have a point!"

They sat for a while, talking and drinking their butterbeers, and then Sirius felt like he should be getting back to Harry. Sirius told her he would call her soon and arrange to get together again, and then he apparated her back to her flat in London.

She swayed a bit, disoriented by the apparition. "That's a hell of a way to travel!" she said. "I think I'll stick to the bus!"

"Next time, I can pick you up on my motorcycle," Sirius offered.

"We'll see," Cat said. "I'm really partial to transport with at least four wheels."

"Right, then," Sirius answered. He felt a little awkward suddenly, now that they were alone. He took Cat's hand, and she closed the space between them. She kissed him passionately and stroked up and down his back. As they broke apart, Sirius said breathlessly, "Wow! What did I do to deserve that?"

She smiled. "Just trying to make sure you don't forget about me again."

"Yeah, well, that should do the trick, but just to be sure..." He pulled her to him and kissed her again. "I'll see you soon."

"All right, then. See you."

Sirius gave her hand one last squeeze before releasing it and turning on the spot to apparate back to Longbottom Hall.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 **Author's note: This chapter is a bit shorter than normal, but I anticipate posting another tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who has favorited or is following my story!**

"Are you going to invite your girlfriend for Christmas?" Alice asked.

"No, she's spending it with her family. Maybe New Year's. And she is not my girlfriend." Sirius tried to scowl at Alice, but his smile showed through. She had been teasing him about Cat since he got back from their date in Hogsmeade and told Alice and Frank about her. He and Cat had seen each other several times in the weeks that followed, and they got along swimmingly, but he wasn't ready to put a label on the relationship. Or even use the word _relationship!_

As Frank entered the room with the children, he rolled his eyes at Sirius. Harry and Neville began to chant, mostly in unison, "Si-us go' a girlfrien', Si-us go' a girlfrien'!"

"Et tu, Frank?" Sirius shook his head as he scooped Harry up and sat him in his lap.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist. I never thought I'd see the day. Sirius Black, man about town, ladykiller, with an honest to goodness girlfriend."

"And he can't push her away and make her think he doesn't like her because she _knows_ he does," Alice added.

"You know, with the way you two are behaving, the chances I'll ever bring her round are slim to nil." Sirius was trying to brush Harry's hair, but it resisted and remained an unruly mess. "His hair is just like James'. I've even tried Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. I give up!"

"Oh, well, he's still adorable!" Alice said. "And you know we're just taking the piss out of you, right? We'll behave when you bring your girlfriend round. Won't we, Frank?"

"Of course!" Frank agreed. "Now, what shall we do with the boys today?"

"Wait," Alice said. "We really do need to talk about Christmas. Who to invite, what to serve..."

"Whatever you want is fine with me, darling," Frank replied distractedly. "Now, Sirius, I was thinking of an obstacle course for the boys."

"Wait, Frank," Sirius said. "I think we should talk about Christmas. This will be Harry's first Christmas without his parents, and I want to make it as happy as I can for him."

"Of course," Frank said as he went to sit beside his wife. "What do you have in mind?"

"Erm...I dunno, actually. I haven't many happy Christmas memories from childhood to build on." Sirius sighed. "I don't want too many guests, though, if that's okay. I want to be able to focus on Harry and Neville."

"Maybe we should keep it just us for Christmas, and then we can have a big party for New Year's?" Alice suggested. "But what about Narcissa and Andromeda? They are your cousins, after all."

"Well, yes, I guess. And Remus, of course. I wouldn't want to have Christmas without him."

"That goes without saying," Alice said. "Anyone else?"

"Not for my part," Frank said. "We should ask Mother, though. I think she's in her study. I'll go ask her."

Augusta returned with Frank a few moments later. "There's no one I want to invite," she said. "But let's talk about the menu."

Sirius and Frank agreed that as long as there was good food and plenty of it, they had no opinion about the menu. They left Alice and Augusta to hammer out the details while they took the boys outside to play.

There were several inches of snow on the ground, and it was the perfect, wet, clumpy snow for building forts and snowball fighting. They had a roaring time playing in the snow. Frank and Sirius tried to use the opportunity to teach the boys how to dodge incoming snowballs, but the toddlers weren't coordinated enough to make much progress on the skill.

"In time, it will come," Frank said. "Let's surprise Alice and Augusta by bringing in a Christmas tree!"

Sirius conjured a sled, and they pulled the boys along. Harry and Neville were rosy-cheeked and laughing as they rode out to the copse of fir trees that grew near the house. Harry and Neville got off the sleigh and ran around looking at the trees, hiding behind them and popping out to surprise the other.

"Which one do you want, boys?" Frank asked.

"Trismas tree!" Harry exclaimed.

Sirius pointed to a full, rounded tree that was about twelve feet tall. "How about this one?" he asked the children.

Harry and Neville began dancing around the tree excitedly. "Trismas tree! Trismas tree!"

Sirius bent down to the base of the tree and cut it down with a slice of his wand. He levitated the tree along in front of them while Frank pulled the kids on the sled. "I think we have a great tree here, boys! Nev, do you think your mum and Gran will like it?" Neville nodded his head and giggled with excitement.

Alice and Augusta were thrilled with the tree, and Augusta summoned their ornaments from the attic. Alice got Sprite to bring in biscuits and hot chocolate while the others set the tree up in the large living room. Sirius conjured the lights, and they spent the next few hours happily munching on biscuits, sipping hot chocolate, and decorating the beautiful tree.

Frank handed Neville the star. "Can you make it go to the top of the tree, Neville?"

Neville looked confused at first, but when Sirius showed him what to do, he caught on quickly. He levitated the star up, and Alice helped him guide it and secure it to the very top of the tree. "Hurray! Great job!" she said.

Sirius handed Harry another ornament. "What do you think, champ? Can you do it, too? Make it fly up and hang it on the tree just under the star."

Harry frowned at the ornament. Sirius sat down on the floor beside him and kissed his cheek. "It's magic, Harry. You're magic, too. Just imagine the ornament floating up and hanging itself on the tree. You can do it!"

Harry put the ornament on the floor and closed his eyes. His little face looked so solemn and sweet in concentration. After a few moments, the ornament rose shakily from the floor. Everyone exclaimed in delight, and Harry opened his eyes. A huge smile blossomed on his face and the ornament began to rise more steadily until it reached its destination. After it was hanging on the tree, Sirius picked Harry up and spun him around in joy.

"You did it, Harry! You did it!" Sirius exclaimed. Harry giggled in delight.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Dumbledore and Snape straightened up over the pensieve. They had just witnessed several memories at the Gaunt residence, the last of which being the memory of Tom Riddle meeting Morven Gaunt. "It seems quite clear that Riddle killed his father and grandparents and framed his Uncle Morven for the deed," Severus said after a few moments of silence.

"I concur," said Dumbledore.

"Do you know how to get to the Gaunt house?" Severus asked. "I think it quite likely there is a horcrux hidden there."

"In fact, I do, and I quite agree that is the best place to start. I still think the cave is a likely spot as well."

"Let's start at the Gaunt house," Severus suggested. "We can go to the cave another time. What supplies should we take with us?"

"Supplies?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, Albus. I was thinking we should take basic healing potions, dragon hide gloves, water, food, and a container of sorts in case we do locate a horcrux."

"I must confess, my friend, that I had not considered taking supplies at all. Now that you mention it, though, that sounds quite wise." Dumbledore moved around the room, gathered various items, and placed them in a satchel. "Do you have healing potions in your quarters, or should I ask Poppy?"

"You don't have healing potions in your office?" Snape didn't bother to hide his tone of consternation.

"I used to keep them around, but I've needed them so rarely that they usually expire before they get used. It seemed a waste."

"Honestly, Albus!" Severus said. "Yes, I have some potions in my quarters. I'll just go and get them, and then we can be on our way. Should we take brooms as well?"

"Yes, let's do. It's been a while since I had a good fly!"

Severus was only gone a few minutes. He shrunk the brooms and placed them in the satchel, then checked to make sure they had everything. Dumbledore apparated them to the yard just outside the Gaunt residence, and Severus immediately began circling the shack, checking for protection spells and other, darker magic. He easily disabled the minor wards surrounding the place.

Dumbledore had also been checking for spells, and after a few minutes he shrugged. "I think that's it, then."

"It seems impossible to believe that something as important as a horcrux wouldn't have more protection," Severus said. "I'd have thought he was smarter than this."

"Disappointed in your former master, are you?" Dumbledore asked. "Arrogance, I think, is his chief flaw."

"Other than his penchant for violence and murder, you mean?" Severus asked, and the two men chuckled.

They entered the shack slowly and carefully. "Hominem revelio!" Severus shook his head. "Nobody home."

They began their search in earnest, then. Severus insisted that they both wear dragon hide gloves while searching, and that neither of them should touch the horcrux when they found it. The shack had been quite dilapidated upon their arrival, and their search very nearly destroyed it completely. They blasted holes in the walls, upturned floorboards, and blasted apart what little furniture there was. Finally, they found it under the floorboards near the fireplace.

"Over here, Albus!" Severus said when he found it. There it lay, a glittering gold ring with a large black stone.

Dumbledore rushed over and gasped at the sight of it. "The resurrection stone!"

"The what?" Severus asked.

"Never mind, I'll tell you later." Dumbledore fished out the container and Severus levitated the ring into it.

"It's cursed," Severus said. "I felt it when I was levitating it. I felt compelled to reach out with my bare hand and put on the ring."

"Do you think we can disable the curse?" Dumbledore asked.

"Perhaps, but I don't see the point if we're just going to destroy the thing, anyway." Snape closed the container. He didn't like the way that Albus was looking at the ring, like it was something precious and wondrous.

"Yes, of course, you're right," Dumbledore replied.

"Let's get back to Hogwarts. I recently purchased a vial of basilisk venom, and I have it safely stored in my rooms. Once we arrive back, I'll fetch it, and we can destroy the thing. Even through the container, I can feel the evil emanating from the thing. It's horrific!"

"How very odd," Dumbledore said. "I can't feel it at all."

The two men looked at each other strangely. Without really thinking about it, Severus looked into his former professor's mind. He saw a small girl, and then he realized what he was doing and stopped. "I'm terribly sorry."

Dumbledore looked affronted, but he didn't say anything. He looked at Severus for several moments before clearing his throat. "We should get back to Hogwarts. Take my arm."

They apparated back to Dumbledore's office, and Snape took the satchel from Dumbledore's shoulder and set it down on an armchair. He quickly removed the container that held the horcrux and placed it in a pocket in his robes. "I'll be right back with the basilisk venom."

If Dumbledore had seen him take the horcrux with him, he didn't say anything about it. He hurried through the castle to his rooms, wondering all the while what he would do if Albus attempted to stop him from destroying the ring. _What in the bloody hell is a resurrection stone?_ _And why did Dumbledore want it so badly?_

He slowed his pace as he neared Dumbledore's office again. He knew he needed to remain calm and keep his wits about him. If Dumbledore tried to stop him from destroying the horcrux, he'd have no choice but to cast a body-bind hex. He felt sure that the headmaster would understand after the object was destroyed. The thought of taking such action against the venerable wizard filled him with dread, though.

Dumbledore was calmly sitting behind his desk when Severus returned. "I feel as though I owe you an apology, my friend," the older man said. "You see, in my younger days I searched for the deathly hallows, and it appears that one of them has been turned into a horcrux. I think I got a bit over-excited, and it clouded my judgement for a moment."

"Quite all right, sir, but what are the deathly hallows?"

"You've heard the story of the three brothers, I presume?" Dumbledore asked.

"I think so. It's one of Beedle the Bard's tales, right?"

"Quite right."

"So the stone, the one in the ring, you think it's the stone from the children's tale?" Severus tried, but failed to keep the ridicule from his voice.

Dumbledore laughed. "It's not just a children's tale, Severus. The hallows are real. I've seen two of them."

Severus frowned. "We should talk about this later. For now, let's destroy the horcrux."

"Of course, but not here in my office. The ring is bound to put up a fight."

"Where, then?" Severus asked.

"The potions lab in the dungeons is made entirely of stone, with magically reinforced walls. That should do, I think."

The two men proceeded to the potions lab, where they placed the vial of basilisk venom in a large stone bowl. They stood back from it and donned more protective gear. Severus placed the container on the table beside the stone bowl. He opened the container without looking at the horcrux. He felt like it was beckoning him, urging him to put on the ring, but he resisted and hurried back to stand by Dumbledore. Even at more than twelve feet away from the object, Severus felt the horcrux's pull. He looked at Albus, who had his jaw clenched and his fists tightly balled.

Severus levitated the ring up into the air and over to the vial. As the ring got nearer the destructive substance, it seemed to fight him. He saw an image of himself wearing the ring. He turned it around his finger three times, and suddenly Lily was beside him. She began wrapping herself around him and kissing him with fervent passion. Severus faltered, wondering why he had wanted to destroy the ring in the first place. He took a step forward.

"Severus, no!" Dumbledore yelled. "It lies! Lily Potter is dead! We must destroy the ring! Quickly, drop it into the venom!"

Severus stopped. He knew Dumbledore spoke the truth, but the image before him tantalized him. His Lily, who had never truly been his, was kissing him the way he had always wanted her to. _Not real!_ He closed his eyes and devoted every ounce of energy to levitating the ring into the basilisk venom. Sweat broke out all over his body as though he were exerting himself physically. He felt his muscles strain with the demand the task placed on his body, and just when he thought he could no longer stand it, he heard a scream. The ring emitted a shrill, inhuman cry of pain. He and Dumbledore had instinctively covered their ears at the awful noise. Finally, it stopped.

"Is it destroyed, you think?" Severus asked. He felt stupid, and not just for asking the dumb question. Obviously, the thing was destroyed, or it hadn't made such a horrible noise. The true source of his chagrin was that he knew Albus had also seen the image coming from the horcrux. And he'd been so sure that he would be the one to prevent Albus from stopping the destruction of the horcrux. Severus let out a long breath.

"Let's venture a gander," Albus said, slowly approaching the bowl containing the vial and the hopefully now destroyed horcrux. As they got near, they could see that the ring was completely gone. Only the stone remained inside the venom, and it had a large crack down the center.

"I think we can safely say that it is inert." Dumbledore levitated the stone out of the venom and into a nearby basin. After thoroughly cleaning the stone, he placed it in his pocket. "One down, six to go!"

"Should we go to the cave tomorrow?" Snape asked. "I think I'm too tired to do so today."

"Quite right! I think we've earned a bit of rest. Why don't you go see how Narcissa and Draco are settling back into the manor, and we'll set out tomorrow morning right after breakfast."

Severus raised an eyebrow at Dumbledore, who innocently looked back at him. "Very well," he said after a moment. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Do send my regards," Dumbledore told him.

Severus nodded in response and turned to go to his rooms. He floo-called Narcissa and asked if it was a convenient time for him to visit.

"Oh, yes, it's an excellent time! Draco just went down for his nap, and I'm about to have tea."

He flooed in to Malfoy Manor and vanished the dust. Narcissa embraced him and brushed her lips against his cheek. "I'm so glad you called," she said. "I'm happy to be back home, in the main, but the manor feels so very empty."

"I can understand that. It's quite a large place." Severus felt awkward. _Was she missing Lucius?_

"Please, do sit down. I'll ring for tea." She pulled on a beautiful brocaded bell pull, and a house elf appeared a moment later.

"Dobby, may we have tea, please?"

"Certainly, mistress," Dobby replied with a low bow. He disappeared again.

Severus and Narcissa sat opposite one another on a pair of wing-backed chairs. Narcissa looked stunning in her pale green robes, with her blonde hair falling loosely down her shoulders. She was wearing a diamond choker that emphasized her slender neck.

"You look lovely today, Narcissa," Snape told her. Even to himself, he sounded awkward.

"Thank you, Severus."

Dobby reappeared with tea and a small platter of sandwiches and cakes. Narcissa thanked him and told him that would be all. He bowed again and disappeared.

"He's so happy Lucius is gone," Narcissa said. "Though, of course, he'd never admit it." The puzzlement Severus felt must've shown on his face because Narcissa added, "Dobby, the elf, I mean. Lucius was horrible to him. His level of service has greatly improved now that he's not around to beat the elf for every small infraction."

"I've never had a house elf before," Severus said. _Why did I say that? I might as well just say I grew up poor._ "Although, now that I am at Hogwarts, we have many house elves."

"Are you looking forward to teaching?" Narcissa asked.

"I am, actually. I'd never considered it before, but I think I will enjoy it."

"It's such an important job," Narcissa said. "I've always held Hogwarts professors in the highest regard."

"Yes, I have too. And I'm enjoying getting to know Albus and Minerva on a more personal level."

"Am I correct in assuming you'll be head of Slytherin house as well?" Severus nodded. "I'm sure that will keep you extraordinarily busy, but I do hope you'll have time to drop by now and then."

"I'd like nothing better," Severus said honestly.

"I'm glad." She took a sip of tea and looked at him nervously. "Severus, I hope this doesn't come off as rude, but would you allow me to take you shopping for some new robes more befitting your station as a Hogwarts professor? I know you have much more important things on your mind, of course, but a man as handsome as you shouldn't wear black all of the time. I would love to see you in emerald green robes."

Severus blinked. He'd always ordered his robes via mail order. He'd never actually been shopping for clothes before. Although her suggestion was couched in compliments, he wasn't really sure of her intentions. Still, perhaps it would be a good idea. "Very well," he said.

"Wonderful!" She exclaimed as she stood. "Just let me get my handbag and tell Nanny. You must let me take you to my stylist as well!"

"What?! Now?"

"Why not? Oh, this is going to be such fun!" She rushed from the room and returned moments later with a handbag that matched her robes. "Ready?"

He wasn't sure how to answer, so he merely gestured toward the fireplace. "After you."

They flooed into the Leaky Cauldron and went to Madam Malkin's, where Severus was measured in every possible direction. Narcissa flew around the shop inspecting various fabrics and colors, obviously very much in her element.

"As you can see, Severus has the most marvelous broad shoulders, so the cut must accentuate them. With a slight taper down the torso and minimal flaring at the hip. Pockets, of course, are essential, but they mustn't distract the eye. Clean lines are of the utmost importance. He's to begin as potions master and head of Slytherin house at the beginning of January, and we need him to look every inch the distinguished gentleman he is. And, of course, with him being so young, older students are bound to be smitten with him, so the fabric and style of his robes must convey an air of maturity."

"Of course, madam," said Madam Malkin. She showed Narcissa several bolts of fabric and began sketching robe designs with her wand on a large piece of parchment on the wall. Every now and then, Narcissa would make suggestions, and the older witch would adjust the sketch.

"Yes, that's perfect, I think," Narcissa said finally. "We'd like four sets for daily wear in these fabrics. Severus, you do like these fabrics, right?" He ran his fingers over the bolts of fabric she held out for his inspection and nodded. "Also, one set of dress robes in the emerald and silver brocade. Add some detailing to those. I think silver epaulets and a silver belt as well. Oh, and the buttons must be fabric-covered with the brocade as well. We'll need a shirt and tie to match, in the same color as the silver thread in the brocade."

"Oh, that will be dashing, madam! You do have an eye for fashion! How very lucky you are to have such expert help, sir!"

Severus attempted to turn his grimace into a polite smile. He wondered what all of this would cost, and he wasn't entirely sure he had enough galleons in his bank account to cover it. He couldn't admit that to Narcissa, though. He'd rather ask Dumbledore for an advance, loathe as he would be to do so.

"When can you have these ready?" Narcissa asked.

"For the daily wear, a few hours. For the dress robes, a few days." Madam Malkin said, and with a flick of her wand, the bolts of cloth flew over to a sewing table and scissors began cutting them. "And what about you, madam? Wouldn't you like a new frock as well?"

"Well, yes, absolutely, but another time, I think. I don't want to bore my companion."

"It's fine with me," Severus lied. He wanted nothing more than to be done with this place.

"No, no. We must be going." Narcissa told the shopkeeper. "I'm taking him to see Jaques for a new hair style."

"How exciting!" The other woman said.

Exciting was definitely _not_ the word that Severus would have used to describe it, but he was bound and determined to keep a good face. They thanked Madam Malkin and exited the shop.

"Oh, Severus, thank you so much for letting me do this! I've felt absolutely stifled cooped up in the manor!" She took his arm, and he felt that the day had suddenly improved immensely. Without thinking, he covered her hand with one of his, and she smiled up at him. It was such a girlish smile, so sweetly innocent and full of happiness that he felt himself smiling back at her. Suddenly, he felt that if taking him shopping made her so happy, he'd gladly subject himself to it anytime.

The storefront of the stylist's shop was a stark, clean white with the word "Jaques" written in black in an ornate, swirling style. Narcissa squealed and pulled Severus inside.

"Oh, my dear Jaques, it's so good to see you!" Narcissa exclaimed as she hugged the rather pudgy hairstylist. "This is my friend Severus. I was hoping you'd have time for him today."

Jaques kissed Narcissa's hand, then shook Severus'. "For you, my darling child, anything! My, don't you look stunning today! It is so good to see the light in your eyes once more! And how is little Draco?"

"He's well, Jacques, thank you for asking."

Jacques led them to the back and indicated for Severus to sit in a shampoo hair. Severus complied, and immediately warm water poured over his hair. "What did you have in mind, today?" Jacques asked as he began shampooing Severus' hair.

"I have no idea," Severus answered. "Narcissa brought me."

"Ah, I see. Do you trust me?" Jacques asked.

"Well, no. I don't even know you!"

The man laughed like Severus had said the funniest thing in the world. "With your hair, I mean! Do you

trust me with your hair?"

"Erm...well...I suppose."

"Fantastique! The ladies will swoon when they see your new hairstyle!"

Severus seriously doubted that, but he said nothing as the man rinsed and conditioned his hair. Then he led him to a chair in front of a mirror and began pulling strands of hair this way and that. He massaged Severus' scalp, which felt nice but also made him extremely uncomfortable.

"Your features are rather sharp, and your face is on the longish side," Jacques told him, "but you are very handsome, also. I think a shorter style would suit you. The length of your hair now draws the eye down, which is not what we want. Yes, I think a shorter style would accentuate your eyes, and the wonderful shape of your brow."

"Oh, I was thinking the same thing, Jacques!" Narcissa exclaimed. "What do you think, Severus?!"

"I suppose that's fine," Severus said weakly.

Jacques waved his wand, and several pairs of scissors began cutting at once. A pair of tweezers pulled stray hairs from his brow as well. Severus thought that he should suggest this to Filch as punishment for wrong-doing boys at Hogwarts. The flurry of activity lasted only a few minutes, though, and then it was finished. Severus looked at himself in the mirror, and he had to admit that he was pleased with the result. Jaques waved his wand again and vanished the hair clippings.

"You look so very handsome, Severus!" Narcissa told him as he stood up from the chair.

"Thank you," he responded. "And thank you as well, Jacques."

"Ah, it was my pleasure sir. I do hope you come back and see me again."

Severus paid the man, and he and Narcissa left the shop. As they strolled down the street, Narcissa took his arm again. "Would you mind if I did a bit of Christmas shopping, Severus?"

"No, not at all," he assured her.

They entered a toy store where Narcissa purchased several toys for Draco, including a toy broom. "He had so much fun riding Harry's broom, so I thought I would buy him one of his own," she said. "Speaking of Christmas, do you have plans?"

"I suppose I will spend it at Hogwarts."

"Would you consider spending Christmas with Draco and me?" she asked timidly. "We've all been invited to Longbottom Hall for Christmas dinner."

"Oh, I don't know. I don't want to impose."

"Not at all. It will be a small gathering. Just us, the Longbottoms, Sirius and Harry, Andromeda and her family, and Remus Lupin. Do say you'll come, please?"

How could he say no when she looked at him like that. "I would be honored."

"Wonderful!"

They returned to Madam Malkin's to pick up the new robes, and Narcissa insisted that he try them on. Severus felt foolish as he entered the changing area, but he had to admit that the new robes fit very well. He liked the fabric, too. At Narcissa's urging, he exited the changing area to model the new robes.

"Excellent!" she said. "They fit you perfectly!"

"I'm surprised at my range of motion," Severus admitted. "I would have thought that, with them fitted so close, it would be hard to move."

"The advantage of bespoke couture," Narcissa replied sagely. "Let's see the others!"

Severus opened his mouth to protest, but then stopped when he saw the eager look on her face. "Oh, all right."

He shrugged out of the emerald green day robes and donned the chocolate brown ones. "Gorgeous," Narcissa exclaimed as he emerged from the fitting room. "They really bring out your beautiful eyes!"

Severus could feel himself blushing, so he returned to try on the next set of robes. These were silver with very subtle paisley designs in a slightly darker shade of silver.

"Absolutely dashing!" Narcissa gushed. "Thanks so much for indulging me, Severus. Just one more set, right?"

The final set of robes were the traditional Slytherin colors: green and silver. "Perfect for the head of our noble house! Salazar himself couldn't have worn them better!" Severus felt that Narcissa's praise was a bit over the top, but he also liked it. He'd never experienced this sort of thing before.

Severus was pleasantly surprised that, although the robes cost only significantly more than the ones that he usually ordered, he did in fact have enough money in his account to pay for them. He signed the form that would allow Madam Malkin to draft the payment from his Gringott's account, she packaged them neatly for him with the instruction that he promptly hang them up as soon as he got home, and he and Narcissa were on their way.

Back at the manor, Severus felt suddenly awkward again. _Was that a date? It felt like a date. No, of course not, she's still married to Lucius._ Narcissa had been saying something, and he missed it. "Sorry," he said. "What did you say?"

"My divorce from Lucius will be finalized next week," she said. "It was the condition I insisted on from the ministry in exchange for my testimony against him at his trial."

"Oh. Do you think that's wise? Testifying, I mean."

"I think it's something I need to do. Something I _want_ to do."

"Oh," he said again. He wasn't sure what else to say because she suddenly seemed to be standing very close to him.

"Severus," she said. "There's something else I would very much like to do."

"What's that?" He struggled to find the breath to ask the short question. Her face was inches from his own. Instead of answering, she put her arms around his neck and drew his face in to meet hers. She placed her lips to his, lightly at first and then with increasing pressure and passion. Severus returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around her waist.

When they broke apart, he backed away a few paces and confessed, "I'm a half-blood!"

She laughed. "I know that."

"I grew up very poor! I'm not your social equal!" _What in the hell had gotten into him? Why did he feel the need to tell her these things?_

"Do you think it's news to me that you didn't have much growing up? We went to school together. I know, and of course you are my social equal. That's nonsense!"

He felt himself blushing. "I was in love with a muggleborn."

"Yes, I know that, too. Lily Evans Potter, right?"

"Yes."

"Are you still in love with her?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

"Were you thinking of her when we were kissing?"

"No."

"Severus, come here."

He closed the distance between them, lowered his head to hers, and began kissing her again. Never in his life had he kissed a woman like this. He had been with women, of course, but never anyone that he cared about. It thrilled him and frightened him at the same time. Their kiss deepened and washed all fear away. He thought of nothing but the beautiful witch in front of him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next morning, Severus woke up with a smile on his face for the first time in his life. He felt so lucky that a woman as beautiful, intelligent, and poised as Narcissa wanted him in her life. For so long, he had pined for Lily, but even when their friendship was intact, that's all it ever was for her. He knew that he would love Lily Evans until the day he died, for both the girl she was and the woman she became, but he was finally coming to terms with the fact that his love had been, and would have always been, unrequited even if Lily had lived.

As he lay there in bed, he replayed parts of their time together in his mind. He loved the way Narcissa had taken his arm, the warmth of her small hand had made his stomach flutter in the most pleasant way. He felt somewhat foolish for his blurted confessions after she had kissed him, but he was also glad that he had been open with her. He promised himself that he wouldn't make the same mistakes he'd made before. He committed himself to being the best man he could be. Narcissa deserved that.

He picked up his watch from his bedside table and noted the time. It was barely past six, but he felt anxious to start the day and hoped that Dumbledore would be up early too. He dressed quickly and went to the Great Hall for breakfast. Early as it was, there were few students at the dining tables. He smiled at the thought that they would be _his_ students in a few short weeks. He'd spent a great deal of time poring over potions textbooks and planning his lessons. Slughorn had always begun a new term with some examples of potions that students would learn, and he thought that an excellent place to start.

He spotted Dumbledore at the head table and wondered if it would be appropriate to join him. He'd generally been taking his meals in his rooms or in Dumbledore's office, only occasionally venturing to the Great Hall during times when students would be in class. He hesitated and debated going back to his rooms and asking a house elf to bring him something, but then Dumbledore spotted him and waved him over.

"Good morning, Severus!" Dumbledore said. "I almost didn't recognize you with your new haircut. Very dapper, my friend! Narcissa's doing, I presume."

Severus nodded and murmured his thanks, feeling a bit shy talking about Narcissa with anyone. Dumbledore indicated the chair next to him, so Severus sat and began filling his plate with eggs, sausages, and toast. "Are you ready to depart after breakfast?"

"I am! I must say, I feel like a young man this morning after yesterday's success! Thank you for accompanying me on these excursions, Severus."

"Not at all. I'm happy to be actively participating after playing such a passive role for so long."

"Don't downplay your previous help, Severus. Think of the lives you've helped save by providing information that led to our recent arrests!"

"Thank you, sir."

They finished their breakfast in silence and then proceeded to Dumbledore's office to check their supplies and begin their journey. They apparated to a jagged rock a few hundred yards from the cave itself. The wind whipped around them and the spray from the sea felt like needles made of ice against their exposed skin.

"I'm exceedingly glad you thought to bring brooms, Severus. I really don't fancy a swim right now!"

Severus reached into the satchel and brought the brooms out. He restored them to their usual size, and the two men flew across the icy water to the cave. Both wizards began to feel around for enchantments and for a way to access the cave.

"How crude!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "Blood payment seems to be required."

"Allow me," Severus said, and he took out a small knife and pricked his thumb. He wiped the blood on the rock, and the cave opened. He healed the small cut with a flick of his wand.

"Thank you, Severus. Shall we proceed?" Severus nodded, and they entered the cave. Darkness enveloped them, despite the brightness of the day outside.

"Lumos maxima," they said, and their wands provided enough light to see that there was an enormous lake inside the cave with a small island several hundred yards away.

Severus lowered his wand so that he could see the water better. "Now I'm even more glad to have the brooms. I'd certainly not want to swim this water."

"I imagine there is some sort of transport, a boat maybe? But, I confess that I find traversing the distance by broom entirely more acceptable. Shall we?"

They mounted the brooms and flew over the water to the small island. Severus saw something jump off to his left, and he highly doubted it was a fish. He glanced over at Dumbledore and raised an eyebrow.

When they landed, Dumbledore said, "I take it you saw the inferius?"

Severus nodded. "I did, and I'd wager it wasn't the only one. Hopefully they will remain pacific if we can avoid disturbing the water."

In the center of the island, there was a rock platform with a basin atop it containing a greenish liquid. There appeared to be some sort of jewelry, a necklace perhaps, lying at the bottom of the basin. Severus donned his dragon hide gloves and tried to pick up the necklace. His fingers seemed to slip through it, and when he withdrew his hand from the basin, his glove was completely dry.

"Curious," he pondered. He withdrew a small vial with the intention of taking a sample to test and attempt to decipher the exact nature of the substance. He submerged the vial into the potion, but he couldn't manage to scoop any of it inside.

"Curious, indeed," Dumbledore agreed. He waved his wand over the potion for several minutes. "It seems that the potion has to be drunk in order to access the horcrux within." He indicated a goblet sitting at the edge of the basin that Severus hadn't previously seen.

"There has to be another way. Let me study it further."

Dumbledore shook his head and filled the goblet with potion. "Severus, it is likely that this potion will render me incapacitated. It is your job to ensure that I drink it all, then you must get the locket and get us out of here. Do you think you can fly us both?"

Severus nodded. "But, please, let me drink-"

Dumbledore quickly put the goblet to his mouth and gulped the potion down. He immediately sank to the ground and began groaning in pain. Severus wanted to help the headmaster, but he knew they had to finish the job and get the horcrux. He filled the goblet and helped Albus to drink it again and again. Dumbledore began crying out, but Severus did his best to block out what he said. He had to stay focused on the task at hand. Finally, all of the potion was gone, and Severus grabbed the locket and placed it in the satchel. Dumbledore was lying on the ground, completely motionless.

Severus felt for a pulse and was relieved to find one, thready and weak though it was. He rummaged around in the satchel and pulled out a pepper-up potion, a healing potion, and a bezoar. He tried the bezoar first, but it seemed to have no effect. After he got the pepper-up potion down Dumbledore's throat, the man stirred and breathed in deep, ragged breaths.

"Water," he croaked. Severus pulled out the flask of water he'd brought along and gave it to the older man. As Dumbledore drank deeply, Severus shuddered as he realized what the man would've been forced to drink had he not thought to bring along the water. Severus gave Dumbledore the healing potion next. It was one of his own making which was created to heal a vast array of maladies. It wouldn't be as effective as a potion designed for a specific ill, but it seemed to restore some color to the headmaster's cheeks.

"Thank you, Severus. I'm feeling a bit better. Did you get the horcrux?" Severus nodded. "Let's get out of here, then."

"Do you think you can fly?"

"I think so, if you can help me. It's not far to the rock. You'll have to apparate us back."

"I'm taking you straight to St. Mungo's."

"Let's go."

They mounted their brooms and flew slowly out of the cave with Severus staying so close to the other man that their knees touched. They had to pause briefly for Severus to make blood payment so that the cave opened for them again, and he felt horrified at how shaky Dumbledore seemed. When they got to the rock, Severus apparated them to St. Mungo's and began barking orders at the staff. Whether it was due to his tone or the fact that Dumbledore was highly recognizable and well-liked didn't really matter, but Severus felt extremely grateful that the staff moved with alacrity. In a matter of moments, Dumbledore was lying on a stretcher and being taken in to see a healer. Severus followed behind and told the healer that the headmaster had consumed an unknown potion that had caused him extreme pain, made him hallucinate, and finally rendered him unconscious. He told her the remedies he had given and their effects.

The healer began performing diagnostic tests with her wand and called out for various healing potions, which other staff members quickly brought. She gave the first one to Dumbledore and explained that she wanted to wait a few minutes to gauge its effects prior to administering anything else. Several minutes later, she gave him another potion.

After a few moments, Dumbledore sat up. "Did you give me an anti-aging potion, young lady? I feel completely invigorated! Hey, Severus, fancy a mountain climb?"

The laughter from Severus and the healer was caused by relief rather than amusement, and Severus felt himself relax a little.

"You're going to be okay, headmaster," the young healer confirmed. "But I'd advise holding off on the mountain climbing for at least a week."

"Miss Whitcomb!" Dumbledore cried as he recognized the woman. "How good to see you again! So, you decided to enter the noble profession of healing! Wonderful!

"Thank you, headmaster!" Her eyes lit up with excitement that her former headmaster had not only recognized her, but also complimented her as well. "Please, give my regards to the other professors at Hogwarts, and to Madam Pomfrey also!"

"Certainly!" Dumbledore nodded to her. "Does that mean I'm free to go? Not that I don't delight in your charming company, of course, but I do need to get back to Hogwarts."

Healer Whitcomb watched Dumbledore as he got to his feet. "Yes, you're free to go, but make sure to drink plenty of water and eat heartily at your next meal. You should rest today, and avoid stress. If you experience any pain or disorientation, either go see Madame Pomfrey or return here. I'll send an owl to the hospital wing at Hogwarts detailing the potions you've been given so that Madame Pomfrey will be well-informed."

Dumbledore assured her that he would follow her instructions, and Severus apparated them back to Hogsmeade. They walked the rest of the way to the castle and refrained from discussing the horcrux until they were in the confines of Dumbledore's office.

When Severus removed the locket from the satchel, though, he knew immediately that something was wrong. The locket seemed entirely ordinary, and while he was examining it a folded piece of paper dropped out of it. Severus read it and then handed it to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore heaved a great sigh. "R.A.B.? Who do you suppose that is?"

Severus had instantly known who had written the letter. The boy had often signed his notes in that manner when they were at Hogwarts together. "It was Regulus. Regulus Arcturus Black."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sirius was just sitting down to lunch with Alice, Augusta, Neville, and Harry when Sprite came in. "Sorry to disturb, mistresses, sir, but Professor Dumbledore is floo-calling Mr. Sirius."

Sirius frowned. He was starving, and the french onion soup smelled like a special kind of heaven, but he didn't want to keep Dumbledore waiting. "Thank you, Sprite."

He walked over to the fireplace in the living room and asked, "What's up?"

"Sirius, Severus and I have a rather urgent matter to discuss with you. Would you mind popping over for a bit?"

Sirius' stomach growled, but if Dumbledore said it was urgent, then he would be foolish not to go. "Of course. Let me just make sure Alice and Augusta can watch Harry."

"Excellent. Floo directly to my office. We'll have lunch and discuss some...matters."

Alice and Augusta were only too happy to watch Harry for him, so he kissed Harry and Neville on their foreheads and left straightaway. When he arrived in Dumbledore's office, the older wizard was pacing again and Severus wore an anxious expression. They greeted him in a distracted manner and Dumbledore called for a house elf to bring them lunch. A few seconds later, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, hot bread dripping with butter, and various vegetables filled their plates.

"Want to fill me in on whatever you two have been up to?" Sirius asked before digging into the delicious lunch.

"Albus, you should eat and recover your strength," Severus advised. "I'll catch him up, and you can interject when needed."

"Excellent plan," agreed Dumbledore.

Sirius noted that the headmaster moved a bit more slowly and stiffly than usual, and also that he was paler than normal. He wondered what had happened to rob Dumbledore of his strength, and he thought that both he and Severus seemed decidedly out of sorts. He decided not to ask questions and hear them out, though, and he anxiously awaited their tale.

Severus sighed and shifted in his chair. "Albus and I have been viewing memories in the pensieve in the hopes of tracking down horcruxes, and yesterday we managed to find and destroy one."

"Brilliant!" Sirius was overjoyed that they had already killed off one of the horcruxes. "That's fantastic news!"

"Yes, it is." Severus spoke slowly and deliberately, as if he were trying to choose his words very carefully. "Today, we went looking for another horcrux." He told Sirius all about the cave, the inferii, the basin with the vile potion inside, and the trip to St. Mungo's. Then he hesitated, took a deep breath, and let it out very slowly. "When we finally had a chance to examine the locket, though, we discovered that it was a fake."

"A fake? How is that possible? Who would go through all that trouble for a fake?"

Severus and Dumbledore looked at each other for a long time, then Dumbledore finally spoke. "Sirius, this will come as a shock, but we believe we know how your brother died."

"What? What does any of this have to do with Regulus?"

Severus handed him the locket and the note. Sirius read it over quickly. And again slowly. And again. He felt his breathing get shallow as he fought back tears. He thought he had finished mourning his brother, thought that Regulus had made some stupid mistake and Voldemort had killed him for it, but it seemed now that he had been wrong. He'd been wrong about the depth of his grief for his poor, misguided brother, and wrong about how he died. The other two men sat silently, allowing Sirius time to process what he had learned. He sensed that they wouldn't speak until he did, so he stood up from the table, wiped his eyes with his handkerchief, and attempted to pull himself together.

"So, where's the real horcrux?" Sirius asked finally.

"We aren't sure," Dumbledore said. "Grimmauld Place seems like the best place to start looking."

"Very well." Sirius detested the idea of asking his mother if he could look around his former home. _No, that wouldn't work at all. She'd try to deny him access, and he'd have to force his way in. Too messy._ Another idea came to mind, though. "Kreacher!"

There was a pop, and an old house elf in a dirty tea towel stood before him. Sirius had never thought he would see him again, which would have been more than fine. Kreacher bowed stiffly and sneered, "M-m-master Sirius."

"Kreacher, I need for you to search the house and see if you can find a locket." Sirius noted that the elf flinched when he had said the word locket. He held up the locket for Kreacher to see. "It most likely looks a lot like this."

Kreacher began to cry and wail and scream, "Not yours! It was Master Regulus' locket! You can't have it! Kreacher WON'T!" Then he threw himself into the wall head first and began banging his head against it.

"Kreacher, I command you to stop!" Sirius shouted.

The elf gave him such a look of hatred and disgust that it made Sirius shudder. "NOT KREACHER'S MASTER! Mistress chucked you out, and good riddance, too!"

Sirius tried to remain calm. It was obvious that Kreacher knew about the locket, and if he commanded the elf to bring it to him, he'd have no choice but to obey. He took a deep breath. "I am your master, Kreacher. My mother can disown me all she wants, but I am my father's heir, whether any of us like it or not."

"Not. Kreacher does not like it, no, he does not. Kreacher will not listen." The elf folded down his bat-like ears and covered them with his hands. He began ramming himself into the wall again.

Sirius placed himself between the elf and the wall. He took hold of Kreacher's hands and pried them down from his ears. "Stop! Kreacher, I command you to bring me the locket immediately."

Kreacher looked at him with murder in his eyes, then turned away and began talking to himself. "Evil, yes, it is evil. Master Sirius always was a bad boy, breaking my poor mistress' heart. Now he wants to use the evil locket. Master Regulus wanted the evil destroyed, and now poor Kreacher has to give it to his brother. What will my mistress say?"

"Kreacher, you are not allowed to discuss the locket with my mother. I command you not to tell her you have seen or spoken to me!"

"Kreacher will obey because he has to, but Kreacher does not like it, no he does not." He popped away, but he was only gone for a minute, and when he returned, he had the locket gripped tightly in his hand.

Sirius held out his hand, but Kreacher only held it closer to his body. He let out an ear-piercing wail. "Noooooooo!"

The small bit of patience Sirius had evaporated. "Bloody hell, Kreacher, you will give me that locket immediately!" His voice cracked beneath the weight of his anger and grief, and tears began to flow down his cheeks again. He reached to grab the elf, to forcibly take the locket away, but Kreacher ran and hid behind an armchair.

Dumbledore gently took Sirius by the shoulders. "My dear boy, you've had quite a shock, and I do understand your frustration. Will you allow me to talk to Kreacher?" Sirius nodded, and Dumbledore patted him on the back. "Now, then, Kreacher, you seem to be under the impression that Sirius wants to use the locket in some way. I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth."

Kreacher peeked his head out from behind the armchair. "M-master Sirius will not use it?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, none of us here want to use the locket. In fact, we want to destroy it. Would you like to help us do so?"

"Kreacher cannot destroy it, no, Kreacher has tried and tried. Kreacher is a bad elf! He disobeyed Master Regulus' orders!" Kreacher began swinging the locket and hitting himself over the head with it.

Dumbledore winced. "Kreacher, please stop and listen to what I have to say." His voice was calm, but the tone of command was unmistakable. The elf paused and eyed Dumbledore critically, as if he were trying to decide if the wizard was trying to trick him. "You're quite right that the locket is evil, so evil that it is very difficult to destroy. But we do have a way to destroy it, and you can help us do so."

"How?"

"We have a substance that can destroy it. If you would come with us to one of my classrooms, I will let you see it. It is a very dangerous substance, so we have to use extreme caution. Will you do that?"

Kreacher eased out from behind the armchair. "You will not take the locket away and use it?"

"No. I give you my word. We will go to the classroom, and you may place the locket in a stone basin so that we can pour the substance on it and destroy it. Before we go, though, will you allow me to examine the locket? I promise that I will give it right back."

Kreacher reluctantly handed the locket to Dumbledore, who began turning it over in his hands and examining it from every angle. After a few moments, he gave it back.

"Shall we go, then?" asked Dumbledore, and Sirius led the way out of the door. Kreacher followed, and Severus started toward the door as well. Dumbledore placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "Severus, I need you to get Horace and meet us in the potions lab."

"Slughorn? Why?"

"Because, unless I am very much mistaken, the locket needs to be opened in order for it to be destroyed. And I feel sure that the command for it to open must be given in parseltongue."

"Slughorn's a parselmouth? I never knew!"

"Yes, well, he stopped bragging about it around the time Voldemort began gathering followers. But he is a parselmouth, so we need him. Unless you have some hidden talent in that area?"

Severus glared at him. "Sadly, no," he said drily. "I'll be there as quickly as possible." Severus hurried from the room.

Dumbledore followed him out and led the others to the potions lab that he and Severus had used the day before. He began setting up—bringing out the stone basin, getting the basilisk venom from its locked cabinet, and getting the protective gear.

"Now, then Kreacher, if you would please place the locket in the stone basin, then I can help you put on the dragon hide gloves and apron, and—" Dumbledore was saying.

"Oh, no! Kreacher will not be tricked into taking clothes, not from you, and not from M-master Sirius! Kreacher is too smart for that, yes! Kreacher is not going to get tricked into getting the sack!"

"I'm terribly sorry, Kreacher, but you misunderstand!" Dumbledore said. "I'm not going to give you the gloves and apron. I just want to loan them to you so you don't get hurt when you pour the destructive substance onto the locket. If it splashed, it could burn you. I've an idea that will make it quite clear that the gloves and apron are mine, and you are only borrowing them. I'll write my name on them." Dumbledore waved his wand, and the words "Property of Albus Dumbledore" appeared on both the gloves and the apron.

This seemed to mollify Kreacher, and he allowed Dumbledore to help him don the apron and gloves. He apparated onto a stool so that he could see inside the basin and placed the locket within. He looked expectantly at Dumbledore.

"In just a few minutes, my friend Horace is going to arrive with Severus," Dumbledore explained. "Horace is going to help us destroy the locket by commanding it to open. Once it is opened, you will pour the destructive substance onto the locket. Please be careful not to splash any of it on yourself, because it is very dangerous. If you would prefer I perform that task, I am willing to do so."

"No, Kreacher will do it. Kreacher wants to do it."

"Excellent!" Dumbledore said. "After you pour it on, apparate away as quickly as possible. I want to be certain that you are not harmed."

"What in Merlin's name is going on here, Dumbledore?" Slughorn huffed as he entered the potions lab.

"Ah, Horace, so good of you to come! Thank you! I need a bit of a favor, my old friend!" Dumbledore clasped him on the arm in greeting, and Slughorn looked confused.

"I did explain the situation on the way, Albus," Severus said with a shrug.

"S-s-so you've really found one, Dumbledore, a horc-"

"A locket, with an evil in it," Dumbledore interrupted. He was fairly certain that Kreacher wouldn't know what a horcrux was, but he wasn't taking any chances. The elf had been owned by the Black family for years, after all.

"Yes, yes, of course!" Slughorn saw Kreacher, and nodded. "Hello!"

"Forgive my rudeness," Dumbledore said. "Horace, this is Kreacher. Kreacher, meet my very dear friend, Horace Slughorn."

Kreacher bowed slightly and made a facial expression that may have been a smile. Horace smiled back at him. Dumbledore clapped his hands and said, "All right, then! I suppose we can get started. Kreacher, are you ready?" Kreacher nodded. Dumbledore handed him the vial of basilisk venom. "Everyone else, please stand as far away as possible. When everyone's ready, Horace will command the locket to open. After the locket opens, Kreacher will pour out the contents of the vial onto the locket and then come over to stand by us as quickly as possible. Everyone ready?" They all indicated that they were. "Now!"

Slughorn made a strange hissing sound which must've opened the locket. Kreacher poured on the venom, then apparated away. Less than a second later, an ear-piercing shriek erupted from the locket, and everyone covered their ears. The painful noise seemed to last a terribly long time, but finally it stopped. Kreacher had been crouched low with his head tucked between his legs and his arms over his head. He stood up, looked around, and apparated onto the stool next to the basin.

"Be careful!" Dumbledore warned, but there was no need.

"It's dead! The evil thing is destroyed!" Kreacher leapt from the stool and began dancing around the room with glee, throwing off the apron and gloves as he frolicked across the floor. "Kreacher is a good elf, oh yes! Kreacher obeyed Master Regulus! He can hold his head high with pride again! Kreacher is so happy!" He danced around a bit more, then came to stand in front of the four wizards. "Thank you!" he said as he bowed deeply to Dumbledore. "Thank you!" he said as he bowed to Horace, who returned the gesture with a quick bow back. "Thank you!" he said to Severus, who had a wry grin on his face. "Thank you, Master Sirius!" He bowed so low that his head touched the floor in front of Sirius' feet.

Sirius had never seen Kreacher happy before, and he was surprised at how much it moved him. "Thank you, Kreacher. Regulus would have been proud, and I am too."

"Can I go home now?" Kreacher asked.

"Yes, of course!" Sirius told him. "But, please, don't tell my mother anything about this, okay?"

"No, Kreacher would not do that. Kreacher is a good elf and always obeys!" He gave an awkward wave and disapparated away.

"How about a lovely glass of brandy to celebrate? I have a bottle in my office just waiting to be enjoyed!" Dumbledore offered as he collected the ruined locket and returned the supplies to their proper places.

Everyone agreed that brandy was just the thing, and they left for Dumbledore's office. Soon they were seated comfortably in front of the fireplace with brandy snifters in their hands. Sirius could hardly believe their progress. _Two horcruxes destroyed in as many days!_

"I have questions, Albus," Slughorn said.

"Fire away, my dear Horace! Fire away!"

"Right. How did you manage to find the horcrux? And what has this to do with Regulus? Your brother, right, Mr. Black?" Sirius nodded.

"I've been collecting memories having to do with Tom Riddle ever since I met him. The earliest memories are my own, of course, but I've also spoken to others who knew him, and I persuaded them to allow me their memories as well. Severus and I have been examining them with the pensieve. Why, do you wish to join the horcrux hunt?"

"Me?! Oh, Merlin, no! My curiosity is purely academic!" Slughorn looked aghast at the mere suggestion that he should help track down those evil objects. "What about Regulus?"

"I'm not entirely sure of the whole story. As I'm certain you know, Regulus Black joined Riddle and became one of his Death Eaters. But what none of us knew until quite recently is that he must have had a change of heart. He somehow acquired the locket and gave it to his house elf with the order that he destroy the object. Poor Kreacher has been terribly distraught that he was, until today, unable to carry out his master's last wish."

"Ah, I see. So that's why he was so overjoyed at the horcrux's demise!" Slughorn said.

"I wonder, Sirius," Severus began, "why didn't you have the elf stay and tell you the whole story of how he came to be in possession of the horcrux?"

Sirius shrugged. "I didn't have the heart. He'd been through so much today, and he was happier than I'd ever seen him. I couldn't ask him to tell me something that would distress him so much." Tears shone in Sirius' eyes, and he added, "Another time, maybe."

Later on, after Slughorn had left, Severus asked, "Albus, why didn't the horcrux have the same effect on Kreacher that it had on me? Why didn't it fight him?"

Dumbledore stroked his beard as he pondered the question. "Although I'm not sure, I'd have to say that it is because the house elf's highest law is to fulfill his master's orders. He'd been trying to do away with the thing for quite a long time, and, once he had the means to do so, there was no stopping him."

Severus raised his eyebrows and nodded. "I suppose that makes sense."

"What do you mean about the horcrux fighting him?" Sirius asked.

Dumbledore peered over his spectacles at Severus, who shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "When I began attempting to destroy the first horcrux, I…saw…things. It resisted me, on a physical and psychological level. At one point, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to complete the task. I even doubted that I wanted to."

Sirius considered what Severus had said, but he didn't pry. He was obviously uncomfortable with what he had seen, and if he didn't want to share the information, that was fine. "I want you to know how much I appreciate what you're doing."

"We're all working toward a common goal," Severus said.

"Yes, well, I'm glad you're on our side." Sirius said quietly.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Aww, come on, mate, just a few more sprigs?!" Remus implored. Every archway to every room in Longbottom Hall dripped with mistletoe.

"Good Godric, man, a fellow would think you were the one bringing a bird round for Christmas!" Sirius scolded Remus playfully. "Why on earth do you want them to get together so badly?"

Remus looked affronted. "How could you even ask such a stupid question? Think about it, Padfoot. The man was in love with Lily almost his entire life! Think of how awful that must've been for him, being so close to her and her never loving him back!" Remus clutched his chest and mimed a heart being ripped out and crushed. "And Narcissa, poor woman, was betrothed to that slime Lucius from childhood! She never had a chance!"

"She could have said no," Sirius interjected. "Like I would have done had my family tried to betroth me to someone!"

"Sirius, not everyone has your backbone! Come on, man, where's your sense of romance?"

"I think it eloped with your sense of propriety!"

Remus burst out laughing, and soon both men were laughing until their sides hurt. Sirius could always make Remus laugh, even when no one else could, and Remus' laughter was as contagious as dragon pox for Sirius, although, fortunately, much more pleasant. They both had one arm around the other and were struggling to rein in the laughter when Alice came in.

"What, in the name of Merlin, is going on in here?" Alice demanded. "And what happened to my house? What's with all the mistletoe?"

"It's for Severissa," Remus giggled.

"He means Narceverus," Sirius corrected as he began roaring with laughter again.

"Oh, no, you've both gone round the twist!" Alice eyed them suspiciously. "Have you been drinking, or have you just gone barking mad?"

For some reason, this question made them laugh even harder, and soon tears were rolling down both mens' cheeks. "Oh, honestly," Alice sighed, giggling along with them despite herself. "You two need to get out more. Why don't you hit up Fabian and Gideon for a night on the town? And take Hagrid with you as well. When I spoke with him last week, he seemed a bit down. I invited him for Christmas, but he said he needed to stay at Hogwarts to keep Dumbledore and the students company."

Their laughter subsided as they considered the merit of Alice's suggestion. "You up for it, Remus?" Sirius looked hopeful.

"Absolutely! Fab-o idea, Alice! Should we floo-call first, or just pop round and get them?"

"Let's surprise them! We can get the twins and then head to Hagrid's and drag him off to the Three Broomsticks!"

"Run along, then, boys!" Alice told them as she flicked her wand and vanished all but one sprig of mistletoe in the doorway between the living room and large dining room. Then, with a flourish of her wand, she added a large red velvet bow and some fairy lights. "Perfect!"

Fabian and Gideon happily agreed to a night out, and the foursome soon stood outside Hagrid's hut loudly singing a somewhat off-key version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". They were nearly to the chorus when the half-giant swung open his door. His face broke into a large smile when he saw who it was.

"C'mon, Hagrid! We're all going to the Three Broomsticks for a pint or two!" Fabian invited.

"Yeh, all right', then!" Hagrid answered cheerfully.

The five men set out, with Fabian and Gideon immediately resuming singing Christmas carols. What they lacked in talent, they made up for in enthusiasm, and soon everyone joined in. They quieted down as they entered the Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosmerta greeted them as she bustled around taking drinks to the many customers already seated. Fabian pointed to a table near the back, and the group proceeded in its direction. Gideon paused to say hello to someone, and Sirius saw Minerva McGonagall sitting with an elderly gentleman.

They all greeted McGonagall and were introduced to her companion, Elphinstone Urquart. "Mr. Urquart and I worked together at the ministry prior to my coming to Hogwarts," Minerva explained.

"I'll bet you have some tales about our former professor here, eh, Mr. Urquart?" Gideon asked.

"Do call me Elphinstone, please! And, yes, I might have a tale or two, but I'm a wise enough man to know when to speak and when to remain silent!" The older man looked adoringly at McGonagall, who had been eyeing him sharply.

Gideon laughed and put his hand on a chair as if to sit down with McGonagall and her companion, but Fabian elbowed him in the ribs and pulled him away as he bid them farewell. "It was very nice to meet you, Elphinstone. Good to see you, Professor."

After they sat down at the table and were safely out of earshot, Fabian shook his head at his brother. "Honestly, man, I know you've got a soft spot for old McGonagall, but can't you see they're on a date?"

"She's not old!" Gideon protested. "And there's no way she's dating him. He _is_ old."

Remus laughed. "She's old enough to be your mother, Gideon!"

"And she'd be out of your league even if she were your age." Sirius added.

"Ouch!" Gideon put a hand to his chest. "Don't kill my boyhood fantasy, mates!"

"I'd no idea you were sweet on the professor, Gideon. Can't fault yer taste in wimmin!" Hagrid smiled at Gideon, whose face had turned the color of his hair.

Remus cleared his throat and searched for a way to change the subject to spare Gideon further embarrassment. "What's the news from the aurors?"

"We've rounded up a few," Fabian answered. "But there are still several Death Eaters on the loose. Dolohov is proving to be particularly hard to track. We thought we had him when we were in France, but then he got away. "

"Any sign of Pettigrew?" Sirius asked. He knew Frank hadn't had any news about their former friend, but he hoped that maybe Fabian and Gideon had learned something on their travels abroad.

Gideon shook his head. "I promise we'll let you know as soon as we get any scrap of news about him, though."

"Thanks," Sirius replied. "I know it goes against auror regulations—"

"Regs be damned!" Fabian said with a grin. "There are more important things."

The conversation became lighter as the men talked about plans for the holidays. Hagrid proudly described the twelve trees he'd gotten for Hogwarts and invited them all to come and have a look. Anticipation apparent on their earnest faces, Fabian and Gideon listed all of the presents they'd purchased for their niece and nephews. The evening passed quickly, and the crowd thinned out.

As they slowly made their way back to Hagrid's for one last drink, Sirius invited them all to Longbottom Hall for New Year's Eve. "Hogwarts can do without you for one night, can't they Hagrid?"

"I suppose so, yeh! Thanks fer invitin' me!"

"What about you two?" Sirius asked the twins.

They nodded. "Count us in!"

Their "one last drink" turned into three, and soon the friends were belting out lewd versions of Christmas carols. Sirius knew he should be getting back to Longbottom Hall, but he was enjoying himself so much that it was hard to go. He looked over at Remus, who had an expression of sheer joy on his face that Sirius hadn't seen since before they learned that Voldemort was targeting the Potter family. Hagrid's booming laugh rang out in a strange counterpoint to the off-key singing, and Fabian and Gideon smiled devilishly at their own off-color lyrics. There was a sharp knock on the door, and the singing stopped.

"I'll get it, Hagrid," Gideon offered. He opened the door and stuttered, "H-h-hello, Professor McGonagall!"

McGonagall looked around the room. "Thank goodness everyone is all right. I'd thought someone might be dying by the sound of it."

Gideon blushed a deep crimson color and looked down at the floor. "Sorry, professor."

"Yes, well, it's quite late, you know. I assume you weren't attempting to wake the whole castle?" McGonagall glared impressively at them.

"I guess we should get going," Remus said.

They said their good-byes to Hagrid and McGonagall, and began their walk back to Hogsmeade so they could apparate home. "What do you suppose your dear Minnie was doing out so late, eh, Gideon?" Fabian jibed his brother. "D'you still say she wasn't on a date?"

"Oh, shut up," Gideon pushed Fabian playfully.

The next morning, Sirius awoke to a pounding sound. At first, he thought it was coming from inside his head, but then he realized someone was at the door. He rolled out of bed and pulled on his dressing gown. "Come in."

Alice grinned at him. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead! We're starting your training today, remember?"

Sirius groaned. "Later, okay? I was out late, you know."

"Oh, come on! Don't act like an old man, Sirius! Let's get cracking!"

"Bloody hell, Alice!" He gave her his fiercest scowl, but she merely smiled back. "Oh, all right. I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes."

"Great! Augusta's going to watch the boys, so Frank and I can both work with you."

Sirius took a quick shower, got dressed, and went downstairs. Alice threw a bun at him and told him to follow her. "What, I don't even get a proper breakfast?"

"You won't want too much in your stomach. Frank and I are going to put you through your paces." She led him into the ballroom.

They started off easy enough, with Frank partnering him in dueling and Alice critiquing him. Frank disarmed him several times, and Alice listed off his "tells". "You look right before you shoot off a stunner in the same direction, and you sort of breathe funny before you try to disarm. Your skill at nonverbal spells is solid, but any opponent who's paying attention can figure out what you're about to do regardless."

Sirius had no idea he was so transparent, and he redoubled his efforts. He purposely looked to his right, but instead of a stunning spell, he disarmed Frank. The other man applauded him before retrieving his wand.

"Much better!" Alice praised him.

After an hour of dueling practice, Sirius assumed they were finished for the day. He wiped his brow with his handkerchief and tried to catch his breath. He noticed that Frank wasn't even winded, and he inwardly chided himself for allowing his dueling skill to lapse. In school, he'd been able to best Frank with little effort, but now…

"Sirius!" Alice called out.

"Oh, sorry! What were you saying?"

"We're going to try something a bit more difficult." Alice placed a stool at the far end of the ballroom and laid two glass orbs on top of it. "Stand over there." Sirius followed her instructions and went to stand at the other end of the room. He reckoned there were twenty-five yards or so between himself and the stool with the glass balls on it.

"The object is to blow up the ball on the left and then immediately summon the ball on the right. Start out using verbal spells, then after you've mastered that, go nonverbal."

Sirius tried to follow her instructions. Blowing up the ball on the left was a cinch, of course, but he invariably blew up the ball on the right as well. Over and over, he cast the expulso spell, and over and over both balls blew up. Frank patiently mended the orbs and levitated them back to the stool each time. Finally, he managed to blow up only the left one, but then his joy upon the success distracted him from the second task and he forgot to cast accio on the ball on the right. The force from the explosion pushed it off the stool, and it crashed to the ground and shattered.

Sirius' frustration bubbled over in a swear-filled rant. "I can't do it, Alice! It's bloody impossible."

Alice repaired the balls and placed them back on the stool. Silently, she flicked her wand and blew up the one on the right. Immediately thereafter, the other one flew into her left hand. She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. Sirius glared at her.

"She's a bit of a show-off, isn't she, mate?" Frank put an arm around his wife and said proudly. "Top of her class in auror training, she was. Mad-Eye's still quite upset about her retirement."

"What's the point of this, anyway?" Sirius' tone sounded petulant, even to his own ears.

Frank smiled weakly. "The ball on the left is a Death Eater, and the ball on the right is Harry."

Sirius was at a loss for words. Somehow, over the course of the morning, he'd lost sight of why he was training. The exercise had seemed stupid and pointless, but now he realized that it wasn't. It might not translate exactly to a combat situation in which Harry was held captive by a Death Eater, but the skills he learned from it could definitely come in handy. He took the ball from Alice and placed it back onto the stool, then repaired the other and put it in place as well.

He took a few deep breaths and tried again, this time imagining that a Death Eater held his godson. It took him several more tries, but he finally succeeded. The force with which the ball hit his hand made it sting, which seemed problematic. "If I accioed Harry with that kind of force, he'd certainly be injured."

"Yes, that's true. But adding arresto momentum to the process will come later. After you've mastered the initial task." Frank put a hand on his shoulder. "You're doing brilliantly, though, mate! It took me a week to get to this point!"

"Let's take a break, Sirius," Alice suggested. "We can have a real breakfast and check on Augusta and the kids."

They found Augusta, Harry, and Neville in the play room. A glance out the window told them that today was not a good day to play outside. The snow seemed to be falling in sheets rather than flakes, and the wind had blown a large drift halfway up the floor to ceiling window. After breakfast, they decided to take the boys into the ballroom so that they could release some of their pent-up energy. The children took turns on Harry's broom, flying around the enormous room and giggling.

"Can't we just give Neville his broom now?" Alice whispered to her husband.

"No, Alice!" Frank whispered back. "Christmas is just a few days away. And, look, they're sharing so nicely!" It was true. After three turns around the room, they would trade off.

"Spoilsport!" Alice said, but she kissed her husband on the cheek as she said it.

"I have an idea for a game!" Sirius told the children. He withdrew his wand from his robes and conjured a large red balloon.

"Game! Game!" Harry cheered. Both he and Neville ran to stand in front of Sirius.

"How play?" asked Neville.

"I'm going to throw the balloon up in the air, and then we're all going to try to keep it from touching the ground," Sirius explained. "But touching the balloon with your hands is against the rules. You are allowed to use magic, though. Sound like fun?"

The boys clapped their hands and bounced up and down. "Are you ready?" Sirius asked. The boys nodded their heads. "All right, then! Ready, steady, go!"

When he said go, the children began chasing after the balloon. At first, they batted it back up with their hands, but Sirius reminded them about the rules. With a look of concentration on his face, Neville raised his hands in the air and made the balloon levitate up just as it was about to hit the floor.

"Great job, Neville!" Frank praised him.

Not to be outdone, Harry put his hands up and tried to levitate the balloon. It bounced on the ground in front of him.

"That's okay, sport!" Alice told him. "Wingardium leviosa!" The balloon shot up into the air again.

This time, Harry got under the balloon and blew a puff of air under it. The balloon took off toward the ceiling. Harry whooped with glee, and Neville fell down laughing.

"Creative use of magic there, Harry!" Sirius said.

They played the new game, which the boys dubbed "Float", until Harry and Neville got tired. Alice and Frank scooped up the children so that they could carry them upstairs for their naps. Sirius dropped a kiss on Harry's forehead, then on Neville's.

"I'm going to practice with the orbs a bit more, I think," Sirius told them.

For the next three days, Sirius spent at least two hours a day practicing the task. By the second day, he could consistently succeed, and by the end of the third day, he managed to add arresto momentum so that the ball landed gently in his palm. He spend another couple of hours a day dueling with either Frank, Remus or Alice, sometimes dueling with two of them at once. His skill increased by leaps and bounds, but he wasn't fool enough to think he would be a match for Voldemort, or even Dolohov. Alice and Frank congratulated him on his progress, though, and assured him that he was coming along splendidly.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'm not sure why, but I had a devil of a time with this chapter. I wrote and rewrote it from Sirius' perspective several times because I wanted to show Harry having a happy Christmas. It just wasn't working, though, so I scrapped that plan and wrote this chapter from Severus' perspective. I'm still not 100% happy with it, but here it is. I hope it's not too sappy and that you enjoy it. Happy Holidays, everyone!**

Chapter 13

Waking with a smile on his face had become somewhat of a habit for Severus Snape. Since their shopping date and first kiss, he had been spending part of almost every day with Narcissa. He rose early each morning, spent a few hours preparing lessons for his upcoming potions classes, strategized with Dumbledore or McGonagall if they had time, and then went to Malfoy Manor. Often, they took Draco on outings to Diagon Alley or played with him outside the manor in the snow. Severus had become extremely fond of the boy, and he was exceedingly pleased that Draco had taken to him as well. The first time the child had said "Sev" and reached out for him, Severus had thought his heart would burst with joy.

There were moments of melancholy as well, though. Times when Severus felt guilty for his happiness so soon after Lily's death, and times when he couldn't help feeling like he was living someone else's life. He analyzed this feeling and came to two conclusions. One was obvious: Narcissa had been Lucius Malfoy's, well, not property, exactly, but still _his_ as far as Severus was concerned, and of course Draco was Lucius' son, his own flesh and blood. The feeling that he had stepped into Lucius' place was disconcerting, to say the least. The other conclusion he had reached had to do with the feeling of happiness itself, and the fact that it was an alien emotion to him. He had experienced stolen moments of happiness when he spent time with Lily as a child, but other than those brief exceptions, his life had been largely miserable.

On this particular morning, Severus felt an odd mixture of excitement, joy, and nervous anticipation. He consulted his watch and realized he had less than an hour before he was expected at Malfoy Manor to spend Christmas morning with Narcissa and Draco. The immensity of the significance daunted him and made his stomach flutter. Christmas, and Christmas morning in particular, was a time for families. He'd nearly declined Narcissa's invitation, and they had nearly had their first fight because of it, but then he had found himself accepting and admitting to Narcissa how very honored he was that she would welcome him into her home on such an important day. Her irritation with him had evaporated then, and she had wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.

Clutching his carefully wrapped gifts, Severus flooed into Malfoy Manor. Narcissa greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and invited him to sit while she went to get Draco. He perched himself at the edge of the couch and placed the presents on the table in front of him. Inwardly, he chided himself for his racing heart and sweaty palms. The irony that he'd felt calmer than this the evening they had assaulted the manor and captured Lucius and the other Death Eaters was not lost on him, and it caused a wry smile to play at the corners of his mouth. Courage in a fight was one thing, but he was learning that courage in love was an altogether more difficult state to achieve.

He rose and turned when he heard Narcissa descending the stairs with Draco, and he felt his breath catch at the sight of her. She bent over to one side so that she could hold Draco's hand as he walked down the stairs, and blond her hair shifted so that the creamy paleness of her elegant neck was exposed. Not for the first time, he pondered the incredulity that this stunning woman wanted him in her life.

"Sev! Sev!" Draco called out as he ran with his arms outstretched towards Severus. He pulled his attention away from the boy's mother and knelt to catch him in his arms. Draco hugged him tightly, and he returned the embrace. "It's Christmas, Sev! Christmas! You bring present for me?"

"Draco," Narcissa admonished, "it's not polite to ask if someone brought you a present."

Draco raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. "Sorry!"

"It's quite all right, Draco, and, in fact, I do have a present for you."

"Hurray, hurray!"

"Is it all right with you if Draco opens presents before breakfast?" Narcissa asked. "He's so excited."

"Yes, of course."

"Hurray!" Draco cried out again. He plopped down in front of the tree and began holding up presents for his mother to inspect. "Dis one for me?"

"No, darling. That one is for Severus. Here, this one is yours."

Draco ripped off the wrapping paper with gusto and tried his best to contain his disappointment that it contained a pair of pajamas. "Thank you, Mummy!" he said politely.

Severus handed him the present he had brought for him. "Here, Draco. This one is from me."

"Thank you!" This time, the boy was not disappointed. He held up the stuffed dragon for his mother to see. "Look, Mummy, a dragon!"

Severus held up the toy whip that controlled the dragon and demonstrated. "If you crack the whip once, the dragon roars. Twice, and it flies. Then you move the whip in the direction you want the dragon to go. See?"

He handed the whip to the boy, who turned in a slow circle with his hand going up and down and squealed in delight as the toy dragon flew around the room, swooping up and down along with the boy's hand motions. Severus showed him how to make the dragon land so that he could open the rest of his gifts.

Narcissa had gotten Draco several more presents, some of which were clothes and some of which were toys. The last present she handed him was the broom she'd purchased the day they went shopping for Severus' new robes. When Draco opened it, he let out a loud whoop and mounted the broom. He kicked off from the ground and began flying around the living room saying, "Thank you, Mummy, thank you!"

Narcissa smiled as she watched her son fly around, only occasionally issuing a warning of "watch out" or "not too high, Draco". After several minutes, she told him to come have breakfast and promised he could fly more later.

After breakfast, Narcissa and Severus exchanged their gifts while Draco went into the play room to put together his new train set. Severus had agonized over what to get her, knowing that he could never afford the kind of jewelry and finery to which she was accustomed. He remembered a time when they were children at Hogwarts and a shallow part of the Black Lake had frozen. Dozens of students had ventured out onto the ice to skate, but Narcissa had not known how. Severus had seen her standing at the edge of the frozen lake looking wistfully at the others laughing, skating, and playing. He'd gone over to her and coaxed her into letting him teach her how to skate. When she expressed fear at looking like a fool, he'd assured her that he'd help her and wouldn't let her fall. With her natural grace, she'd taken to the ice with ease, especially after he'd charmed her skates to steady her. They'd skated for hours and then gone back to the Slytherin common room for hot chocolate.

As Narcissa delicately pulled the paper off of his gift, he desperately hoped that she'd remember that day. Finally, she pulled it free of its wrappings and breathed, "Oh, Severus, it's beautiful! What a perfect reminder of that day, so long ago!" She hesitantly reached out and touched the figurines atop the miniature ice pond.

"I hoped you'd like it. It's a music box also. You just have to tell it to play."

As Severus said the word "play", the sounds of a string quartet playing "White Christmas" filled the room, and the dark-haired boy and fair-haired girl began skating around the pond. Narcissa watched, fascinated, as the pair moved in time with the music. As the last note sounded, she looked up at him with a tear in her eye. "It's the sweetest thing anyone's ever given me. Thank you!"

He swallowed a lump in his throat. "My pleasure."

She carefully placed the music box on the table, moved closer to him, and kissed him chastely on the lips. "I feel a bit foolish about my gift to you, now. This is so beautiful, and my gift to you…well…isn't."

"I'm sure it's lovely," he told her as she handed him a long, narrow box. He opened it to find a rather lumpy green and silver knitted scarf.

"I made it myself, you see," she rushed in quickly, before he had a chance to say anything, "and I'm not terribly skilled at knitting, as you can see."

Not knowing exactly what to say, he removed the scarf from its box and placed it around his neck. He tossed the right end over his left shoulder with a flourish, raised an eyebrow and said, "There, now, don't I look dashing?!"

"You do," she laughed.

He felt much warmer all of a sudden, and he didn't think it was merely due to being in such close proximity to her. "Is there a warming charm on this?"

"Yes! That's something I _am_ good at!"

He loosened the scarf, but kept it on. "It's an excellent charm, and a lovely gift. I'll treasure it. I never even knew you knew how to knit."

"Well, I don't. I'm just learning, actually. I was doing some shopping one day, and I hadn't the slightest idea of what to get you. I happened to run into Molly Weasley at Flourish and Blott's. I had Draco with me, and she was saying what a beautiful boy he was. We got to talking about Christmas and our children—she has seven, did you know that? Well, anyway, she mentioned that it was her tradition to knit a jumper for her husband and all of her children every Christmas. I thought it was a lovely tradition, and I told her so and asked her if she'd show me how to knit! She said she'd be happy to, so Draco and I have been visiting her each morning for an hour or so. She's really a very dear woman, and her son Ron gets along swimmingly with Draco."

Severus was dumbfounded. "So this scarf is—"

"My first creation, yes! I know it's a bit lumpy, but I'll get better. Molly says my knitting is coming along just fine. By next year, I should be quite skilled."

Her proud smile would have been present enough for him, and Severus' heart jumped a little at her reference to next year. _Did that mean she expected them to still be together next year? He certainly hoped so._ He raised his hand to her face and gently stroked along her cheekbone up to her hairline and into her fine blond hair. Their lips met and her arms wrapped tightly around him. As she opened her mouth to his and deepened the kiss, he felt a soft moan escape him.

"Mummy!" Draco called from the next room, jarring them both back into reality. "I need help!"

"Coming, darling!" Narcissa called back. She ran her thumb along Severus' lower lip and sighed. "Sorry. I got a bit of lipstick on you."

"No problem." They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment, then he took a deep breath and said, "So, we're helping with trains, then?"

When it was time to go to the Longbottom's for Christmas dinner, Severus flooed through first carrying Draco's favorite presents: his broom and the stuffed dragon. He felt a bit foolish emerging from the fireplace carrying children's toys, but he supposed there was nothing to be done about it. He quickly placed them on the floor and turned to offer a hand to Narcissa, who had flooed through with Draco in her arms. Instead of taking his hand, she handed him Draco. The other occupants of Longbottom Hall had obviously heard them enter, and they rushed toward the fireplace with greetings of "Happy Christmas" and "It's so good of you to come!" Severus felt a bit overwhelmed by the sudden crowd of people but was somewhat relieved when Andromeda took Draco from his arms and began to fuss over him.

Nymphadora Tonks scurried over to her mother's side and reached for her little cousin. "He's a big boy, Mum," she told her mother. "He doesn't want to be held. He wants to come play with us! Don't you, Draco?" As an added enticement, the little girl's hair turned palest blond, like her small cousin's.

"Play!" Draco confirmed as he squirmed in his aunt's arms.

Andromeda let him down, and Draco grabbed up his broom and dragon to show to the other children. "Look!" he exclaimed. "I got broom, too!"

"Me too!" Neville proclaimed.

"Mum!" Nymphadora shouted as she tugged at her mother's skirts. "Did you bring my broom? Can we go fly?"

Andromeda bent down and whispered in her daughter's ear. The little girl made a face, but dutifully turned to Alice and Augusta and apologized for her outburst. "I'm sorry for shouting. I'm just so happy to be here, and I'm excited to be able to fly with the other kids."

"That's quite all right, dear," Alice assured her. "Dinner should be ready in just a few minutes, but afterward, if it's all right with your parents, you're welcome to fly around the ballroom to your heart's content."

Nymphadora shouted out, "Hurray!" and then covered her mouth with her hand. "Oops! Sorry! I meant to say, thank you very much. That would be great." She looked to her mother, who nodded her approval. The little girl smiled and took Draco's hand. "May I please sit by my cousin at dinner?"

"Yes, of course you may!" Frank answered.

Severus had few happy Christmas memories, but he knew that this would be one. He could remember a few times when his mother had really put forth an effort, but his father had always found something (or many things) to criticize. Either the turkey was too dry, the mashed potatoes too runny, the brussels sprouts too mushy, or some other blasted thing. His criticism was never a one-off, either. He'd rant for an hour or more over one thing or another until his mother finally dissolved into tears and sequestered herself in her room, leaving Severus to clean up the mess. This Christmas, everyone smiled. Everyone chatted happily. The children were a bit messy, even though Severus could tell they were on their best behavior, but no one was put off by their mess. On the contrary, the adults laughed at the children's antics and vanished the mess with a wave of their wands. Severus wondered if this was what normal people experienced on Christmas, both muggle and magical.

After Augusta brought out the Christmas pudding and everyone had oohed and ahhed at the flaming dessert, he asked Sirius if he'd had Christmases like that when he was growing up. Sirius had let out a laugh and said, "Merlin's pants, no! This is nothing like a Black family Christmas! There were a few happy Christmases as the Potter's, but I always felt like something of an interloper."

Severus wanted to ask why, but he felt that would be crossing a line. Narcissa apparently had no such qualms. "Why would you feel like an interloper at the Potters' house?" she asked.

Sirius blushed a little. "I don't know. I guess I just felt tainted, like I wasn't worthy to be part of such a wholesome family."

Narcissa looked perplexed and perhaps a bit annoyed. She seemed to understand that the taint that he felt had come from being a part of the Black family, her family. Severus worried that they were going to row, but Narcissa changed the subject and complimented the pudding instead.

After dinner, they all went into the ballroom so that the children could play and fly around on their brooms. Nymphadora helped Sirius set up the junior quidditch set he'd bought Harry and Neville, and the boys all listened patiently and attentively as she explained the rules. Thankfully, the junior set didn't have bludgers, but, even still, the game proved too complicated for the toddlers. Sirius hid his disappointment well, and Nymphadora took it in her stride. Instead, she organized a game of tag. Soon, the children were flying all around, smiling and laughing.

"Can't catch me!" Draco called out as he turned sharply to avoid crashing into the wall.

A moment later, Harry tagged him on his shoulder. "Caught you! You're it!" He giggled as he zipped away.

Draco caught Nymphadora a bit too hard, and the two of them tumbled to the floor, both of them laughing as they bounced along.

"Told you that cushioning charm was a good idea," said Frank proudly.

Harry and Neville hopped off their brooms to join in the tickling match that had begun on the floor. "Me! Tickle me!" Harry yelled to Nymphadora. She tickled him on the stomach, and the boy roared with laughter.

"Times like this, I know I made the right choice," Sirius said to Remus.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked.

"About Harry," Remus answered. "Sometimes, I get scared. I wonder if turning down Dumbledore's plan for keeping Harry safe was the right choice. But seeing him like this—laughing, having fun, playing with other kids…well, it just makes me feel like I did the right thing."

"You did, Sirius," Alice said. "Being with us, with a family that loves him, is definitely the best thing for Harry."


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: The end of each year tends to bring out my reflective side, and I find myself thinking about people I have loved who have passed on. Generally, it's people from my own life, rather than celebrities, who occupy my thoughts. But this year we have lost two celebrities who meant a great deal to me. Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia was one of my first fangirl obsessions, and I remember being heartbroken when my mom was unable to reproduce the** **sidebun hairstyle on me. Alan Rickman was one of the best actors of all time and an exceedingly fine person. I will miss them both. Excuse me for mixing fandoms when I tell you, "May the force be with you! Always!" Happy New Year, everyone!**

Chapter 14

Sirius ran his fingers over the bonnet of the silver 1963 Jaguar XKE and looked at Augusta in wonder. "This car may be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"

Augusta chuckled. "It was my late husband's pride and joy, but I've never really cared for cars myself. I keep it maintained as an homage to Franklin, but neither Frank or I have ever driven it."

"And you're really okay with me borrowing it?" Earlier that day, he'd been talking to Frank and Augusta about how much Cat detested apparating and about her reluctance to ride his motorbike. He was trying to think of an alternate way to pick her up from the train station and wondering if they should take the bus from the station and walk from the bus stop. He wasn't terribly happy with the idea of having to walk several miles in the snow, and Augusta had informed him that she had a car and told him she'd lend it to him. She'd neglected to mention the car's pedigree, though.

"Of course. You said you know how to drive, right?"

"Yes, absolutely." Sirius had been fascinated with muggle modes of transportation since he was a young boy, but he'd never driven anything as exquisite as this Jag.

"Well, then, that's settled. It doesn't fly, and in fact it has no magical modifications whatsoever."

"It's perfect!" Sirius exclaimed.

Augusta shrugged. She clearly didn't understand what all the fuss was about. A few minutes later, Sirius sped through the winding country roads feeling exhilarated. The car's powerful engine roared happily, and the fifteen minute drive to the station was nowhere near long enough for Sirius. He parked the car, discretely set a protective charm on it, and jogged inside to wait for his girl.

Sirius had mixed feelings about seeing Cat again. He liked her, in fact, he liked her much more than he'd care to admit, but he wasn't sure how she fit into his life. The past few weeks, she'd been visiting relatives in Scotland, and he'd been so focused on Harry having a good Christmas that he'd hardly devoted any time to thinking about her. _Right girl, wrong time._

He spotted her exiting the train and felt surprised at how happy he was to see her. He trotted over and embraced her. "I'm so happy you could come!"

"Me too! It's good to see you!"

He took her bag, and they walked out to the parking lot. She was properly amazed at the Jag. "Oh, my God! It's gorgeous! Is it yours?"

"No, more's the pity. Augusta loaned it to me so I could come pick you up."

"Wow! That was nice of her!"

"She's a really nice lady. You'll like her. In fact, I think you'll like all my friends." Sirius took her hand and squeezed it. "How was your visit to the highlands?"

"Oh, it was wonderful! My whole family was there—aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, everyone! I'd love to take you there someday!"

"It must be a big place!"

"Yes, it's my uncle's place. He's loaded! The rest of my family, well, not so much."

Sirius smiled. The subject of money hadn't really come up before, and he felt a bit funny about it. In the magical world, everyone associated the Black family name with power and wealth, but she wouldn't know that since she'd been raised in the muggle world.

"I'm glad we have a few minutes alone to talk. I wanted to tell you something." Her voice sounded excited, but hesitant.

"What is it?"

"I've been accepted to medical school at Oxford. I'm going to become a physician." The pride in her voice was unmistakable.

"Brilliant! That's a muggle healer, right?"

She laughed. "Yes, that's right. I'm terribly excited, of course, but the training is quite intense. I'm afraid my social life is probably going to suffer."

"You're not breaking up with me on New Year's Eve, are you? Because that would be cruel."

"No, not breaking up with you, exactly, but I _am_ going to have to focus on my studies. I'm not going to have a lot of time for you."

"That's brilliant!" he blurted out, and then felt incredibly stupid for having done so. "That's not what I meant to say. It's just that I don't have a lot of time either, so now I don't have to feel guilty about it."

Cat's laughter was unbridled this time. "Well, that _is_ brilliant, then! Neither of us have to feel guilty!"

They turned a corner, and Longbottom Hall came into view. "Wow! I think that place is even bigger than my uncle's!" Sirius glanced over at her and smirked. "That's not where we're going, is it? It is! Wow! Your friends must have dough. I suppose the car was a dead giveaway of that, though."

Sirius had never heard the word "dough" used in relation to money, but it wasn't too difficult to figure out. He parked in the garage on the east end of the house and brought her in through the kitchens. Sprite, Bubble, and the other house elves were busy preparing for the big party. Sirius introduced them to her and began leading her up the stairs to the living room. He stopped on the stairwell and pulled her to him, kissing her gently at first, then with more passion.

"I didn't really get a chance to say hello properly at the train station. I really am so glad to see you." They stood there smiling at one another for a few minutes, and then he took her hand to lead her up the stairs once more.

"Sirius." Cat lightly tugged his hand to get his attention. "What are those creatures in the kitchen?"

"Oh, they're house elves! Sprite is the head house elf, sort of like a muggle butler. Bubble is second in command, and I'm afraid I don't know much about the other two."

"So they're servants?"

"Yes, and they're quite friendly sorts. My family's elf is a nightmare."

"Your family's…? But what are they? I thought elves were just fictional creatures."

"I'm sorry. I'm sure this must be very confusing to you. I grew up in the magical world, so things like house elves, giants, and centaurs are fairly commonplace to me. Although I've only ever met a half-giant, and he's the nicest guy I've ever known. You'll meet him tonight. He's coming to the party."

"What?" Clearly his last statements had only served to confuse and overwhelm her further.

"Don't worry. Hagrid's a sweetheart. You'll love him."

They continued up the stairs to the living room, where the rest of the family was waiting. They stood and greeted her warmly.

"Welcome, my dear," Augusta said. "Sirius has told us so much about you, I feel I know you already. I'm Augusta Longbottom, and this is my son, Frank, and his wife, Alice. The little ones there are Harry and Neville."

Cat shook hands with all of the adults and knelt down to say hello to Harry and Neville. "Hi there! I'm Catharine."

"I Harry."

"I Neville."

"It's so good to meet you both! Sirius has told me lots about you. Is it true you can fly on a broom?"

Both toddlers nodded their heads. Neville looked toward Alice, "Can show her?"

"Not right now, darling. We have to get ready for our party, but Catharine is staying the night, so you can show her tomorrow, all right?"

The little boy nodded. Harry tugged on Catharine's arm and pulled her toward the play room. "Come see dragon."

"Dragon!" Cat exclaimed, clearly wondering if the boy had a real pet dragon. She looked to Sirius, who shook his head. She sighed with relief, but continued to play along. "I've never seen a dragon! Will you protect me?"

Harry laughed. "'S a toy. Come see!"

Sirius followed them into the play room, where Harry and Neville demonstrated the riding toy dragons they had gotten for Christmas. They hopped on and zipped around the room, making the dragons roar and shoot out ribbons of faux fire.

"Those are really cool!" Cat exclaimed. "I had a rocking horse when I was your age, but those dragons are so much better."

"Do you guys want to help me show Cat to her room?" Sirius asked.

"Yes!" the boys replied.

Sirius took Harry's hand and Neville grabbed onto Cat's, and they went up the stairs to stow her bag in her room. "Wanna see the rest of the house?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, please!"

So Sirius and the boys treated her to a tour of the house. Harry and Neville were particularly proud to show off their new beds, having only recently outgrown their cribs. "Big boy bed!" Harry told her.

"Not baby!" Neville agreed.

"Wow, that's great! You two are really growing up, aren't you?"

Harry and Neville stood a little taller and puffed out their chests. They showed Cat all of the upstairs rooms, and then when they went back downstairs, the boys got bored and went to play. Augusta assured Sirius she would watch over them while he finished the tour.

Cat paused in the library to look at a book. "Are all of these books about magic?"

"Most of them," Sirius replied. "You're welcome to check them out."

"Maybe later," she said. "This house is amazing! Is that everything?"

"One more room," he said. "The ballroom is spectacular, and more so tonight than ever."

The band was setting up on the small stage that had been erected in the center of the far side of the room. There were fairy lights draped from the walls and ceiling, and a large banner that sparkled out the words "Happy New Year 1982". Golden orbs of light floated over small tables along each wall.

"Wow! It's really beautiful! I've never seen anything like it!" Cat exclaimed.

Sirius looked at his watch. "Our guests will begin arriving any minute. Do you want a drink?"

"Sure. A butterbeer would be great!"

There was a small bar set up in the corner of the room. "Two butterbeers, please," Sirius told Bubble.

"Certainly, sir! Any cinnamon or ginger?"

Sirius looked to Cat and raised his eyebrows. "Why not?" she said. "Ginger, please!"

They took their drinks into the living room to await the arrival of guests. "Our closest friends will arrive by floo," he explained. "Other guests will apparate in just outside the wards where they will be greeted by Sprite, who will open a doorway in the wards so that they can proceed."

Cat looked confused. "I think I understand what wards are, but what do you mean, 'arrive by floo'? Flu like influenza? How could they arrive by means of an illness?"

Sirius chuckled. "No, not influenza," he assured her. "It's a means of transport through the fireplace. I'm not sure how to explain it properly, but in a few minutes, that fireplace will glow green, and people will start coming out of it."

She furrowed her brow. "You're not joking, are you?"

"No. There, take a look!"

There was a green glow in the fireplace, and Ted Tonks emerged, followed by his wife and daughter. Sirius introduced them to Cat. "Catharine, please," she told them. "No one calls me Cat except for Sirius."

"That's because he's such a _dog_ ," Remus joked as he stepped out of the fireplace. He laughed loudly at his own joke.

Sirius groaned. "This is Remus Lupin. He's monstrously funny, isn't he?"

"I don't get it." Cat looked back and forth between the two men as they laughed at their inside jokes.

"Don't worry about it," Remus told her. "It's great to meet you. Sirius has told me so much about you!"

"Likewise," she said, and then she was distracted by the fireplace lighting up again.

Severus, Narcissa, and Draco came through. More introductions were made, and the children ran off to find Harry and Neville. They barely had time to say hello to Severus and Narcissa when other guests began pouring in. Sirius did his best to make introductions, but it wasn't always easy given the large number of people arriving. In the chaos of all the arrivals, he became separated from her for a few minutes, and when he made it back she was deep in discussion with Madame Pomfrey. The two women were engrossed in conversation comparing magical and muggle methods of healing.

A few minutes later, Hagrid arrived with Fabian and Gideon, and the three men pulled him along with them. He checked with Cat to make sure she was okay with him leaving her for a few minutes, and she waved him off. Sirius was glad to see that she was clearly enjoying herself.

He accompanied Hagrid, Fabian, and Gideon to the bar to grab drinks and they sat down at one of the tables. Sirius quickly reinforced Hagrid's seat before he sat down. They had been talking for a few drinks, and Sirius was starting to feel guilty for leaving Cat so long when they heard a voice call out above the din of the crowd.

"May I have your attention please?!" Elphinstone called out over the New Year's Eve revelers as he tapped on his glass with a spoon. His face was alight with an enormous smile, and he swayed slightly, causing Sirius to wonder if he might have had a bit more than his fair share of the elf-made wine he'd brought to the party. The crowd silenced and gave him their attention. "I have an announcement! This lovely, exquisite, highly intelligent woman," he paused to wrap an arm around Minerva McGonagall, who was blushing slightly at this point. He kissed her on the cheek and continued, "as I was saying, this wonderful woman has just consented to be my wife!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd with the exception of Gideon, who groaned loudly. "Merlin's bollocks, that's my hopes dashed, then!"

Hagrid boomed with laughter and clapped Gideon on the back, which caused the man to fall out of his chair. "Cheer up, lad!" Hagrid told him. "There's plenty o' girls out there fer yeh."

"Not women like her, though," Gideon lamented as he picked himself up off the floor.

Sirius excused himself from his friends and made his way through the crowd to offer his congratulations to the happy couple. He overheard someone asking McGonagall if he would have to call her Professor Urquart now.

"Certainly not!" McGonagall said indignantly.

Sirius offered his hand to Elphinstone, who still wore the broadest grin Sirius had ever seen. "Congratulations, sir!" He inclined his head to McGonagall. "And best wishes to you, Minerva! A lifetime of happiness to you both!"

They both thanked him, and Sirius moved along so that the other well-wishers could have their turn. He looked around the living room and finally spotted Cat. She was talking to Dumbledore, who must've just arrived. He peeked into the playroom before going to join her and saw that the children were all playing happily. He, Remus, Augusta, Frank, and Alice were taking turns watching over the children during the party, but Sirius was still somewhat nervous with so many people present. Sure, he didn't suspect any of their friends of aligning themselves with Voldemort, but he'd never suspected Peter, either.

"Everything is all right, Sirius," Remus assured him. "Go dance with your girlfriend."

"Right. Thanks, mate!"

"Well, thank you, Albus," Cat was saying to Dumbledore as he joined them. "Ah, there you are, Sirius."

He kissed Cat on the cheek and greeted Dumbledore. "Did you arrive in time to hear the announcement?"

The old man's eyes twinkled as he nodded. "I knew he'd convince her eventually! I think they'll be very happy. Please do excuse me. Hagrid seems to be attempting to get my attention."

Sirius followed Dumbledore's gaze to see the half-giant waving his arms wildly. "See you later, Albus. Cat, shall we dance?"

Cat agreed, and they waded through the crowd to the ballroom, which was alive with music and couples dancing. He and Cat joined the other dancers, and he asked her what she'd been thanking Dumbledore for.

"Oh, nothing. It was just about the constraints of the spell he performed on me when I was a kid."

"Constraints? What do you mean?"

"It wasn't really news to me, but I was just asking about the possibility of obtaining a wand and learning magic. He said he didn't think it was possible." She shrugged slightly, but Sirius could tell she was bothered.

"No? I don't understand. Why not?"

"He told you about the spell he cast when I was fourteen, right? The one that channeled my magic?" Sirius nodded. "At the time, it seemed like an easy choice. Albus told us that untrained witches and wizards could be very dangerous, and that a witch or wizard who suppressed their magic could become an obscurus. Do you know what that is?"

Sirius nodded, shuddering at the thought of her being taken over by dark magic that way.

"So the spell he cast channeled my magic so it could develop naturally without any real training. I mean, my family and I visited Hogwarts every summer so that Albus could mark my progress, offer advice, and generally check me over to make sure nothing went wrong, but other than that, my empathic abilities just developed over time. After the spell was cast, I didn't have any more mishaps due to accidental magic."

"You visited Hogwarts over the summer? With your parents?" Cat nodded. "That's—. Well, I'd never considered muggles visiting Hogwarts before." He shook his head, trying to clear it of the image of muggles trying to wrap their heads around all of the wonders there were to see at Hogwarts—the floating candles, the enchanted ceiling, the moving staircases. By this time, they were barely swaying at the edge of the dance floor, so Sirius escorted her out to the patio just off the ballroom and cast a warming charm. He vanished the snow from one of the benches so that they could sit down. "Sorry. Please continue."

"We were pretty gobsmacked the first time we were there. Mum nearly passed out when Albus cast the spell that allowed her to see Hogwarts rather than the ruins that she had previously seen. That first summer, I think, he invited us with the hope that my parents would allow me to go to Hogwarts if they saw its splendor first-hand."

"It didn't work, though."

"No. Well, I was very ill when I was young. I had leukemia, and it had just gone into remission a few months before I turned eleven. I'd practically lived in hospital for several years, and my parents were terribly afraid that I would die. When I was finally better, finally able to be home and live a normal life, well, they couldn't imagine sending me away. To be honest, I couldn't imagine it, either. I was happy to have an explanation for all of the weird things that seemed to happen when I was scared, or angry, or in pain; and I thought Hogwarts was a beautiful, fascinating place. But I couldn't imagine leaving my parents for months at a time. It frightened the hell out of me just considering it."

"I can't begin to conceive of what you went through. Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I don't really like to talk about it."

"But I still don't understand why you couldn't get a wand and learn magic. I'd be happy to teach you."

"Thanks, but it isn't that simple, apparently. When Albus cast the spell, it channeled the magical energy differently than with other witches and wizards, so now I don't have the same magical core to draw upon. Albus explained it better, but ever since he cast the spell, my magic has been more diffused, which took away the danger. He had explained it all to my parents and me in great detail before we made the decision, but I guess I had just hoped I might at least be able to do simple spells."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. "He shouldn't have done that spell. He should have convinced your parents to send you to Hogwarts," Sirius said angrily. He knew he was being irrational, but he couldn't understand how Dumbledore could've robbed her of her potential as a witch.

She smiled a small, sad, smile. "It's sweet of you to be angry on my account, but don't be. You have no idea how hard he tried to convince us that my going to Hogwarts would be the best thing! He was terribly frightened of what might happen to me if I didn't have proper training, and he even tried to find someone to tutor me privately, but it didn't work out. He must've spent a lot of time inventing that spell for me. My well-being was very important to him. I could tell that even before my empathic abilities developed. He associates me with someone in his past—his sister, I think. Something terribly tragic must have happened with her."

Sirius looked at her quizzically. "I didn't even know he had a sister. He's got a brother—a bit of a nutter, but an all right bloke. Other than that, I don't know much about his family."

"Anyway, that's enough with this gloomy stuff! Let's go rejoin the party! These people are fascinating!"

"I'll have to take over play room duty soon, but it's only for a half hour. Don't feel like you have to come with me. You can stay out here and enjoy the party."

"And miss the chance to see magical children enjoying _their_ party? You must be joking!"

Alice was sitting on the floor making bubbles come out of her wand for Ginny and a small blonde girl. Sirius couldn't remember what her name was, but he thought she was Xeno and Pandora Lovegood's baby girl. Her large eyes were wide with wonder as she reached for the bubbles floating past her.

Harry, Draco, and Neville were playing with the younger Weasley boys. Dora, Bill, and Charlie were nowhere to be seen. "Hey, Alice!" Sirius said. "Where are Dora and the other Weasley kids?"

"Oh, Molly and Arthur are keeping an eye on them. They wanted to join the dancing. You should see Dora flirting with those two boys! It's so cute! She even turned her hair Weasley red and sprouted some freckles!"

"Brilliant! And how are the boys taking it?"

"Bit annoyed, I'd say, but they became exceedingly polite after a look from their mother."

"I'll bet they did," Sirius laughed. "Anyway, we're here to take over. Go join the party!"

"Thanks!" Alice hopped up, and, with a jaunty wave, she trotted off to join the party.

"What did Alice mean when she said that Dora turned her hair red?"

"Oh. Dora's a metamorphmagus." Her confused look didn't change. "That means that she was born with the innate ability to change her appearance at will. Although, at her age, her appearance often changes based on her emotions. She's trying to get Bill and Charlie's attention, so her appearance changed to be more like them."

"Is being a metamo-"

"Metamorphmagus," Sirius supplied the word for her.

"Right. Is being a metamorphmagus common?"

"No, actually. They're pretty rare. Dora's the only one I've personally known."

They turned their attention to the children then. Ginny and the other little girl were crawling around and, it seemed, trying to put everything in sight into their mouths. Sirius produced his patronus and had the large dog trot around the room to amuse them.

Cat clapped and laughed aloud. "So _that's_ what Remus meant when he said you were a dog! I get it now!"

Sirius felt uncomfortable, but he didn't think that it was the right time to tell Cat that he was an animagus. In fact, he thought it quite likely that she was nearing some sort of magical overload. He fervently hoped that she didn't ask about his reference to Remus' "monstrous" sense of humor. He didn't want to have to sidestep the issue, but he sincerely doubted she'd be able to handle the knowledge that werewolves really existed. _Thank Godric none of my friends are vampires!_

Severus and Narcissa stopped in to check on Draco, who was still happily playing with Harry, Neville, and the Weasley boys. He ran to give his mother and Severus a hug when he saw them, though he seemed like he might have regretted it. "Not going home!" the boy insisted. "Staying here."

Narcissa laughed. "No, darling, we don't have to go home yet. Severus and I just wanted to make sure you were having a good time."

"Yes, Mother! Having fun!" Draco turned back to the other boys and began playing again.

Narcissa extended her hand to Cat. "We barely had a chance to say hello earlier in the evening. I'm Narcissa Black, Sirius' cousin, and this is my very dear friend, Severus Snape."

"It was a bit of a madhouse at the beginning of the party! I'm pleased to meet you again." Cat smiled warmly at Narcissa and Severus.

"I don't remember you from Hogwarts," Narcissa said. "Did you attend Beauxbatons instead?"

"Oh, no. I went to school in London."

"Oh, I see." Narcissa's tone was barely civil. She looked around, as though desperately trying to come up with another topic of conversation.

Severus came to her rescue. "Is that the Lovegoods' little girl?"

Sirius tried to quell the anger that had started to build at Narcissa's questioning. "Hmm…oh, yes, I believe so. I can't remember her name."

"I think it's Luna," Narcissa said. "What a lovely child! Such inquisitive eyes."

Remus and Frank came in the room just then. "Hello, all!" Frank greeted them. He was either oblivious to the tension in the room or was determined to break it. "My shift starts now! Sirius, you and Cat should go and join the fun!"

"Yes, of course. Thanks, Frank! We'll be back in a bit to help get the kids off to bed." He gave Harry a quick kiss on the forehead, took Cat's hand, and left the room. Remus followed. He led them through the crowded living room into the sun room, which was currently unoccupied.

"What's going on?" Remus asked. "Why didn't we rejoin the party?"

"Sorry, mate. I needed a minute." Sirius took several deep breaths. "You know, Remus, I really thought she'd changed, but she's still the same snobbish, xenophobic bitch I grew up with!"

"Oh, Sirius, she obviously thought I was a muggle!" Cat exclaimed. "And I was searching for a way to explain, but…"

"Why?! Why should you have to explain yourself?" Sirius ranted.

"Sirius, will you please calm down and tell me what happened?" Remus asked.

Sirius and Cat filled him in on the conversation. "I think you're correct, Catharine. She thinks you're a muggle. And, Sirius, that would go against the International Secrecy Statute, bringing her here during a wizarding party. She was probably just blindsided. Think of how astonished you were when she showed up at Hogwarts that day."

"You know, Remus, you have an annoying habit of believing the best about people," Sirius said with a smile. "It's one of the things I like best about you, though."

"C'mon, mate. Let's rejoin the party." Remus linked arms with Sirius and Cat and pulled them back toward the party. Sirius rolled his eyes but couldn't stop himself from smiling as he went along. They went back to the ballroom and danced for a while. Remus looked surprised but pleased when Emmeline Vance asked him to dance and then stayed by his side after dancing through several songs. The foursome grabbed some drinks from the bar and food from the buffet, sat down at a table, and chatted for a while until it was time to put the younger children to bed.

It was, as Frank put it, "a proper house party", with many of the guests staying the night, especially those with young children. Dora, Bill, and Charlie managed to convince their parents to allow them to stay up and ring in the new year, but the other kids were obviously tired, and the adults soon had them tucked safely in bed. Sirius put extra protections on the nursery and charmed the door to alert him if anyone opened it. Thankfully, they didn't, and the rest of the evening was very enjoyable.

A few hours later, everyone gathered in the ballroom as Frank alerted them to the countdown to midnight. "Does everyone have a glass of something! We're coming up to the last five minutes of 1981!"

A few minutes later, everyone chanted, "5,4,3,2,1, Happy New Year!"

Sirius kissed Cat, and Emmeline grabbed Remus and locked lips with him. Sirius looked around to see everyone hugging and kissing. He chuckled when he saw Dora kiss both Charlie and Bill. Both boys bore her affection with stoic manliness and promptly wiped her kiss off with their sleeves as soon as she wasn't looking. Sirius thought about all of the sadness and joy that 1981 had brought, and he hoped that 1982 would bring more of the latter rather than the former.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I have had a sinus and ear infection, and my head's been too foggy to write. Several people have asked where I'm going with this story, so let me assure you that I plan for it to continue at least until Voldemort is defeated. I hadn't really planned on writing so much about the first year after Harry's parents death, but I got really caught up in the characters and how different their lives could be. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me, and thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews! I think I will jump ahead to Harry's first year at Hogwarts after this chapter, so be ready for a time jump!**

Chapter 15

Severus walked back and forth along the corridor three times, continually repeating the thought _I need to find the place where things are hidden._ He felt foolish, but he'd promised Minerva that he would help. She'd been digging deep into Hogwarts' histories, unearthing ancient tomes that were nearly as old as the castle itself, and she expressed certainty that her efforts had been rewarded. The histories repeatedly made mention of a hidden room in the castle that revealed itself only when the seeker really needed it. Unfortunately, no one book had complete instructions about the method with which one accessed the room, and there was no mention at all about the location of the room itself. He'd never truly realized how massive the castle was until today.

After an hour's worth of searching, they'd called for reinforcements. Sirius, Remus, Augusta, Alice, and Frank were now also pacing along sections of the castle searching for the hidden room while Professor Sprout and Hagrid looked after Harry and Neville. Severus had suggested they ask Narcissa to watch over the children, but Sirius had given him a cold stare and insisted he wanted Harry nearby.

Another hour passed before Severus spotted a silver cat patronus running toward him. Minerva's voice said, "I found it. Seventh floor, directly across from the tapestry of Barnabas." Then the cat bounded away, presumably to let the others know of her success. Relieved that the search was concluded, Severus quickly made his way to the seventh floor.

The door to the previously nonexistent room was open, so Severus proceeded inside and found Minerva, Dumbledore, and Remus already within. They all stood there for several moments taking in the incredible amount of cast-off articles. There were mountains of books, various toys and banned items, empty glass bottles, furniture, and more. Severus ventured further inside and peered around a heap of broken chairs but could not see the back wall of the room.

The sound of falling objects prompted him to turn, and he saw that Frank, Alice, Augusta, and Sirius had come in as well. Sirius had apparently attempted to remove an old quaffle from a pyramid of sports equipment, and the whole lot of it had come tumbling to his feet.

Sirius sighed and smirked at him as he cast aside the deflated quaffle. "The search is over, so now the real search can begin."

"Quite." Severus hoped he wouldn't have to spend much of his summer searching this room. His first term as a professor had gone well but was nonetheless exhausting.

"So, what are we searching for, exactly?" Frank asked. While the others had all viewed Dumbledore's collection of memories, Frank hadn't had time to do so.

"It's either a cup or a tiara or something else entirely," Dumbledore responded.

"I still don't understand why he'd hide a horcrux here," Frank said.

"He may not have," Minerva said. "It's simply the best guess I have."

"It's a good guess, I think," said Sirius. "Hogwarts was a special place to Tom Riddle. I'll bet it was the closest thing to a home he ever had after growing up in an orphanage."

"And if the Gaunt home was special enough to hide a horcrux, and a cave where he'd once tortured other children, it seems very likely to me that he would hide one at Hogwarts, too," Minerva said.

Frank nodded. "Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. Well, I guess we should get to it, then!"

"Any chance we can summon it?" Alice asked.

"A slim one, I would think, but worth a try nonetheless." Dumbledore put on his dragon hide gloves and held up his right hand so that he could catch the item should the summoning work. "Accio horcrux…accio Hufflepuff cup…accio Ravenclaw's diadem…accio unknown object formerly belonging to Tom Riddle."

Minerva closed the door and went to stand by a pile of books. "Accio green book." The books remained motionless. "You can stop trying, Albus. Apparently the summoning charm does not work in this room."

"Ah! Well then, I propose we get started in earnest. Why don't Remus and I venture to the back of the room and begin there. Minerva, you and Augusta can begin the search at the front while Severus and Sirius start at the left side and Frank and Alice begin at the right. Dragon hide gloves on, please, everyone! Any questions?" Dumbledore looked around and saw everyone donning their gloves. No one appeared to have any questions, so he began walking toward the back of the room with Remus.

Tedious hours passed as each pair of searchers sifted through various objects on their way to the center of the room. Severus levitated objects through the air, examining them as they flew over his shoulder and piled up behind him. Heap after heap of discarded objects floated over his shoulder to no avail. He wished he could think of a shortcut; some way to speed this process along.

"How are things going with you and Narcissa?" Sirius asked him.

Severus was a bit startled by the personal nature of the question, but he shrugged it off. Conversation might help pass the time. "Very well. We get along wonderfully." He thought for a moment, considering whether he really wanted to open this particular den of dragons. Part of him thought he'd be overstepping, but he knew that Narcissa longed for a closer relationship with her cousin. She was overjoyed that her relationship with Andromeda had strengthened, but often lamented that Sirius remained distant. "We haven't seen much of you since the winter holidays. Narcissa misses you."

Sirius clenched his jaw. His response was terse, brief, and not entirely true. "We've been busy."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "That's a pathetic excuse, and you know it."

"What do you want me to say?" Sirius stopped his search and turned to look Severus in the eye. "That I can't stand Narcissa's xenophobic attitude?"

"That's quite a pedantic view, and rich, coming from you!"

"What?! What the hell do you mean by that?!"

"Oh, I just felt too tainted to be able to enjoy Christmas with such a good, wholesome family like the perfect Potters!" Severus mocked Sirius' voice as well as the sentiment he shared at Christmas. Sirius' face grew red with anger, and he tried to interrupt, but Severus threw out his hands and continued. "How do you think that made Narcissa feel? You just lumped the whole Black family together, her included, and said they _tainted_ you! I know your parents wholeheartedly supported Voldemort, but Narcissa's family, with the exception of Bellatrix, did not! Nor did Regulus, it seems, in the end! So don't stand there on your high horse looking down at your family! It is childish, and it is beneath you!"

Sirius' chest heaved angry breaths, but it was obvious that Severus' words had struck a chord. He couldn't quite bring himself to admit it, though. "You heard her when I tried to talk to her about Cat! She doesn't feel that my girlfriend is a proper match for the last male scion of the ancient and noble house of Black! Those were her exact words, Severus! You heard her!"

"Yes, I heard her. And, while I don't exactly agree with her, I can see her side of things. If you would stop being so self-righteous, you'd be able to see it, too!"

"Enlighten me, then." Sirius crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Severus took a moment to calm himself. He picked a piece of lint from his emerald green robes, then looked Sirius in the eye. "Though I've been around her but little, Catharine seems a lovely young woman. I can see how you and she would be good together as a couple. But I can also see issues. She's not just muggle-born, she lives in the muggle world. You'd be an idiot if you couldn't agree how that could create issues!" Sirius looked as though he wanted to disagree, but Severus cut him off. "Not insurmountable issues, but issues nonetheless!" Sirius nodded grudgingly, and he continued. "Now, just for a moment, try to look at the situation through Narcissa's eyes. Her parents taught pureblood supremacy, but they taught it in an entirely different way than your parents did. Narcissa was taught that purebloods are the natural leaders of the wizarding community and have the responsibility for ensuring that traditions and customs are respected, honored, and kept. Antiquated or not, those are her beliefs, along with the notion that you, as the last male member of the Black family, are the head of that family. Now, not only are you courting a muggle-born, but she's also someone who is ignorant to those customs and traditions. Added to that, you said you felt tainted by your pure-blood family. Just try to imagine how that makes her feel! Try, just for a moment, to see things from her viewpoint!"

Sirius looked resolute for a moment, but then his face crumpled. His hands dropped to his sides. "I never saw it that way before." He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "I'll talk to Narcissa. I'll apologize for what I said at Christmas, and I'll really try for an open conversation with her. Merlin's pants, but I'm an idiot!"

Severus smiled at the man in front of him. He'd once thought of Sirius Black as a mortal enemy, but now, as odd as it felt, he was beginning to regard him as a friend. "There's hope for you yet, Black!"

Sirius shook his head and laughed softly. "Thanks, Snape! I guess we all have to grow up sometime!"

"I suppose we should get back to it, eh?" Severus indicated the mountains of refuse before them.

So they got back to work. This time, they chatted as they labored, which made the job less tedious. Sirius asked about how his first term as a professor had gone, and Severus told of his lessons and ideas for their improvement.

"Severus, would you do me a favor?" Sirius asked.

"What's the favor?" His voice was distinctly noncommittal.

"You're brilliant at potions. You always have been. Even when I hated you back in school, I had to admire your talent."

Severus' face remained impassive. "Go on."

"You know about Remus' condition. His 'furry little problem', as James liked to put it." Clearly uncomfortable with asking a favor of his former nemesis, he paused. "Could you…would you do some research into a potion that would make his condition more manageable? I know a cure is out of the question, but perhaps something to make it a little easier on him. Did you see him today? He's three days out from the full moon, and he looks like he's been chewed up and spit out. Do you think there's a way you could help him?"

Severus sighed. As if teaching, horcrux hunting, and a budding relationship wasn't enough for him to deal with. But he thought back to his horror at Remus' appearance when he first saw him earlier that day and felt sympathy for the man. He looked back at Sirius' earnest expression and nodded. "I'm not promising anything, but I will try."

Sirius grinned broadly. "Thank you. Thank you so very much. Just let me know what supplies you need. I know this will take up a considerable amount of your time, and I'm happy to purchase anything you need. I am honestly, sincerely grateful."

They went back to their task, but Sirius stopped him after only a minute or two. "One more thing? Please, don't mention it to Remus until you have something that has a good chance of working."

"Of course."

A little while later, they took a break for a late lunch. It was odd to see the Great Hall so empty, and odder still to see not-quite-two-year-olds sitting at the staff table. Harry and Neville's diction had improved remarkably since the last time he spent any real time with them, though not, in Severus' opinion, to the degree that Draco's speech had improved.

"I can already tell that Neville will be my star student when he gets to Hogwarts! He has quite an affinity for Herbology. Seems in tune with the plants, you see. He helped with the repotting I was doing today." Pomona Sprout smiled approvingly at Neville, who beamed back at her.

"That's terrific!" Alice said. "I always liked Herbology. I have a greenhouse at Longbottom Hall, but I hadn't even considered enlisting Neville's help yet. Maybe I will now. Would you like that, Neville?"

"Uh huh! It was fun!"

"Brilliant!" Alice said. "How about you, Harry?"

Harry made a face and shrugged. Then his face broke into a big grin. "Had fun with Hagrid!"

"We went t' see th' unicorns. A little 'un came right up and et an apple out er Harry's hand." Hagrid gently ruffled Harry's hair with one of his enormous hands.

After lunch, Harry and Neville were scrubbing their eyes and yawning. "I'll take 'em up ter the Gryffindor dorm ter get a nap," Hagrid offered. "Wha's the password?"

"Whomping willow," Dumbledore replied.

"Are you sure, Hagrid?" Alice asked. "You've already spent most of your day watching them."

"It'd be my pleasure, Alice," Hagrid replied. He gently lifted the children into his arms and carried them off while singing "Odo, the Hero" to them as a strange sort of lullaby.

"I suppose we should get back to it," Dumbledore said.

They resumed their search positions and began again. Only about an hour had passed when they heard an explosive crash. Severus and Sirius looked at each other for a moment, then rushed toward the noise to check it out. They found Minerva standing in front of a pile of shattered wood. The others had also abandoned their posts to see what was the matter. Severus raised a questioning eyebrow.

"There was a damaged vanishing cabinet, so I blew it up. It potentially could've been very dangerous had a student happened upon it," Minerva explained.

"We could have repaired it," Severus suggested.

Minerva shrugged. "I was bored."

They had a good chuckle and turned to resume the search. Minerva's voice halted them when she said, "Hark! I think I've found it!"

Severus turned to see a shining silver tiara in her outstretched, gloved hand. "Yes, I believe you have!"

"I've the oddest sensation," Minerva whispered. "I feel compelled to put the thing on."

"Don't!" Dumbledore cried out.

"Well, of course I won't do it, Albus!" Minerva sighed, exasperated. "It's quite a strange feeling, though. It's almost as if the evil thing is speaking to me. Shall we dispose of it now?"

They proceeded to the potions classroom in which they had previously destroyed the two other horcruxes they had found. Dumbledore explained the procedure to everyone and asked if they were ready.

"Pardon me, Albus," Minerva said. "But with the current price of basilisk venom, if we keep going at this rate, we are going to deplete Hogwarts coffers. It also seems to me that having some more portable method of destroying horcruxes might also be beneficial. Carrying around vials of basilisk venom could prove catastrophic."

"I'll gladly pay for whatever supplies are needed to destroy the horcruxes," Sirius said. "Please allow me to reimburse Hogwarts for the purchases thus far. I'm sorry I didn't consider it before."

"That's very kind of you, Sirius. Thank you." Dumbledore stroked his beard, clearly considering Minerva's assessment of the situation.

"Goblin-made weapons only take in that which make them stronger," Frank suggested in a jovial tone. "Have any of those lying around?"

"As a matter of fact, we do!" Minerva exclaimed. "Shall I fetch it, Albus, or would you care to?"

The others looked perplexed, but Augusta and Severus seemed to realize to which object Minerva referred. "Brilliant, Minerva! Good thinking, Frank!" Augusta praised them. Frank shrugged.

"So you propose we pour the venom onto the sword, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked. He walked the length of the room, obviously deep in thought. "It should work, I think. Yes!"

Minerva launched herself into her tabby cat form and scampered away. "Her impending nuptials have put quite a spring in her step," Remus commented with a smile. He stepped closer to Sirius and whispered, "Do you ever have the urge to chase after her when she's in animagus form?" Sirius punched Remus lightly in the arm.

Severus had overheard, and he chuckled loudly. "She'd rip you to shreds," he whispered to Sirius, who nodded solemnly in agreement.

"Since we've a few minutes, perhaps you will tell me how training is coming along?" Dumbledore asked.

"Oh, I'm sure Minerva will be back quick as a cat!" Remus joked.

Everyone groaned simultaneously, and Sirius said, "Give it a rest, mate." He smiled at his friend, then looked to Dumbledore and continued. "I think training is coming along remarkably well. Harry's magical ability seems to be growing, and I'm making some improvement as well."

"Don't be so modest, Sirius," Alice said. "He'd easily qualify as an auror at this point, and his progress hasn't slowed at all. I keep waiting for him to plateau, as all of us do at times, but so far it hasn't happened."

Sirius smiled. "Thanks, Alice. Albus, I was wondering if I might be able to train with you some over the summer. Maybe you could teach me how to do that whip thing…if you have time, that is."

"Yes, of course," Dumbledore agreed. "You may find it rather grueling, though."

"That's all right."

Minerva returned with the sword and donned her dragon-hide gloves. She shouted a quick, "Stand back!" at which time, everyone rushed to the opposite end of the room. She unsheathed Gryffindor's sword, carefully poured the venom along the length of the blade, and watched the weapon drink it in. When she seemed satisfied that the sword had indeed absorbed it, she firmly grasped the sword with both hands. With one fluid motion, she swung the sword above her head and brought it crashing down on the tiara. It split into two pieces and let out a brief, ear-piercing wail. Minerva smiled triumphantly. "Ha! That'll teach it not to try to mess with _my_ mind."

Severus immediately began the research process for the potion. He pored over books about lycanthropy, carefully separating the hard science from the sensationalist nonsense. After he felt he understood the process as well as anyone could, he delved into the literature regarding the process of becoming an animagus. His idea was to create a potion that could alter a werewolf's transformative nature to more closely resemble that of an animagus. He knew that preventing Remus from transforming into a werewolf was practically impossible, but if he could manage something that would allow him to remain in control of himself, the man's life would drastically improve.

Narcissa had initially been quite put out that Severus was still spending so much time at Hogwarts. "I thought we'd have more time together during the summer! I thought we might go on holiday somewhere warm and exotic!"

"I'm sorry, darling, truly! I'd like nothing more than to take a holiday with you, but I feel compelled to do this! Remus Lupin is a good man, and it's not right that he has to suffer so much each month and live on the outskirts of society."

"I know, I know, and I admire you for it." She embraced him and pressed her head into his chest. "Sometimes I just get a bit selfish. Maybe if you were less noble, less brilliant, I'd have you all to myself a bit more. But, then again, those qualities are much of the reason I love you." Her words had dropped matter-of-factly out of her mouth, but as she realized what she had said, her body tensed. They'd grown very close over the last several months, but neither had made a declaration of love.

Severus felt as though his heart would beat out of his chest. He stroked her silky hair for a few moments before he gently took her by the shoulders and held her so that he could look into her dark eyes. "I love you, too, you know. I love you more than I'd ever believed possible."

A week later he held Narcissa's hand as they watched Minerva McGonagall marry Elphinstone Urquart. The wedding was a simple, small affair, with only their closest friends in attendance. Severus felt honored to be included. Minerva had never looked so lovely, or so happy, and Elphinstone gazed at her adoringly. Severus glanced at Narcissa and saw her delicately dab the corner of her eye with a white handkerchief. Suddenly, he had a clear mental image of Narcissa and himself standing there, in front of all of their friends, pledging themselves to each other. His own eyes welled up, and he blinked rapidly. He cheered along with everyone else as the newly wed couple kissed.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The afternoon sun shone warmly on the quidditch pitch at the Burrow, and the breeze blew lightly, just enough to take the edge off of the summer's heat. In short, it was a perfect day for quidditch, and the Weasley's and their guests were making the most of it. Team Prewett-Weasley had Fabian playing keeper, Fred and George as beaters, Ron, Percy, and Gideon as chasers, and Ginny as seeker. Team Longbottom Hall had Frank playing keeper, Alice and Dora as beaters, Sirius, Neville, and Draco as chasers, and Harry as seeker. As per usual, Remus was the referee. The rest of their party sipped pumpkin juice and chatted as they watched the match from the garden.

They'd been playing for well over an hour, and the score was nearly even when they caught sight of a parliament of owls winging their way towards them. Ginny shrugged, feeling terribly miffed that none of the Hogwarts letters were intended for her, but she took advantage of Harry's distracted state and searched for the snitch. She zig-zagged back and forth across the pitch as she flew from one end to the other. A few moments later, she spotted it and streaked off to capture it.

"I got it! I got it! Team Prewett-Weasley wins!" she called out enthusiastically as she grabbed the tiny flying ball.

Ginny's teammates cheered, and they all flew back down to the ground. "Finally!" Ginny said to Harry. "I've never beaten you to the snitch before!"

"Well done, Ginny," Percy said as he patted his younger sister on the shoulder.

"I was distracted!" Harry frowned. "It hardly even counts."

Sirius put an arm around Harry and whispered, "Be nice! She's sad enough with all of you leaving for Hogwarts soon!"

Harry kicked at the ground and muttered, "Sorry. Good game." Then he turned his eyes back to watch the owls approaching.

"Nice one, Ginny," Draco complimented her. "Very Slytherin of you, taking advantage of your opponent's moment of weakness."

Ginny punched him lightly on the shoulder. "I will NOT be in Slytherin! I would be, though, if it meant I could go to Hogwarts this year. It's not fair that I've got to wait a whole year to go!"

"Now, Ginny, you'll have your turn soon enough!" Molly scolded as she hugged her daughter. "Well done catching the snitch!"

The owls landed on the picnic table, and the children gathered around to retrieve their letters. Percy got his opened first, and he held up a shiny red and gold badge. "I've been made prefect. Mother, Father look!"

George buried his face in his hands and muttered something to Fred, who groaned, but Molly looked delighted. "How wonderful!" she said. "Oh, Percy, I'm so proud! We'll have to get you a reward when we go to Diagon Alley!"

Arthur and the others congratulated Percy as well, but Ron, Harry, Draco, and Neville sat together on the bench of the picnic table eagerly reading their very first Hogwarts letters. Over the years, their parents had told them stories of their time at Hogwarts, and the four boys were anxious to have adventures of their own.

"It's gonna be great!" Harry exclaimed.

"I can't wait!" Neville said. "Six more weeks until we get to go!"

"I'm a bit anxious about the sorting," Ron said. "Fred and George said we had to—"

"They're having you on," Harry reassured him. "Sirius said we just have to put on an old hat."

Draco bit his lip and looked up from his letter. "Promise we'll all stay friends, no matter which house we're in."

"Of course," Ron said. "Why wouldn't we?"

Draco sighed. "I'll be in Slytherin, won't I? Like my mother and the rest of my family. And you'll all be in Gryffindor, I'm sure."

"Maybe you can be in Gryffindor with us," Ron suggested.

Draco shook his head. "I don't think so. Mother and Dad would be so disappointed, especially with Dad being head of Slytherin house."

"It's all right, Draco." Harry put an arm around him. "We'll always be friends. We promise."

"Should we make an Unbreakable Vow?" Ron giggled. "Or would a blood oath do?"

The boys all laughed and began talking about the various subjects they would be studying, the supplies they would buy, and what kind of pet they wanted to take with them. Harry and Neville both wanted owls, Draco thought that a cat might be nice, and Ron said he'd be happy with anything but a toad.

Severus smiled wistfully as he gazed at the four children. He'd overheard their conversation, and Draco's fear of losing his three best friends worried him. He pulled Sirius and Frank aside and filled them in on what the boys had said.

"It'll be all right," Frank told him. "They've grown up together. Those four are practically inseparable. They won't let something like being in different houses come between them."

"But Draco will be the odd man out," Severus insisted. "And you know how things are at Hogwarts. The houses are sort of set against each other."

"Maybe we should talk to Dumbledore," Sirius suggested. "Get him to encourage more intermingling among the houses."

"Yes, I think that's a very good idea," Severus said. "I'll speak to Minerva first and enlist her help. Other than when it comes to quidditch, she's the most egalitarian of the teachers. Myself included, of course, although I do _try_ not to favor my own house."

Remus strolled over to them, holding a letter of his own. Sirius saw the letter and asked, "Did they revoke your graduation?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Albus has asked me to come work for him again. I don't know how many times I have to say no."

"I don't understand why you keep refusing the job," Frank said. "I know you're good at the security work you've been doing, but I'd think you'd find a teaching job more satisfying."

"You know why," Remus said.

"No, we don't know why. It makes absolutely no sense." Severus turned his piercing gaze on Remus. "You're more than qualified for the post, and it's perfectly safe. It's been almost eight years since you've lost control during a transformation."

"I know, and I'm so grateful—"

Severus held a hand up. "I wasn't asking for gratitude. You've thanked me a million times, Remus. What I don't understand is why you aren't living, really _living_ your life."

Remus was silent. He ran his hand through his hair as he tried to think of a way to explain, but he couldn't. "The job is jinxed, anyway."

"Rubbish!" Frank and Sirius said in unison. They looked at each other and grinned.

Remus was spared further interrogation by Molly's announcement that dinner would be ready in fifteen minutes, and did they mind setting up the tables and getting ready? The four men set to work conjuring tables, chairs, table cloths, and place settings.

A few minutes later, Narcissa emerged from the house carrying a raven-haired little girl, and Severus went to kiss his wife and daughter. "Hello, darlings! Did she have a good nap?"

"She did! She slept for nearly three hours. I hope she's not coming down with something. There's been talk of dragon pox making the rounds again."

Carina reached out for Severus, and he took the child in his arms. "I'm sure she's fine, but we can have Poppy look her over if you're worried." He gazed into his daughter's face. She looked fine to him—more than fine, actually. She'd inherited her dark hair from him, but otherwise she was her mother done over in miniature, and Severus thought that she was the most beautiful child she'd ever seen. He kissed Carina's forehead, both from the surge of love he felt whenever he looked at her as well as to check for fever. He didn't detect any, and before he knew it, he was surrounded by women who were fussing over the four-year-old child. Dora won her over, as usual, with her metamorphmagus antics, and they were soon running around the garden playing with a ball. He watched his daughter smiling and laughing as she tossed the ball back and forth with her cousin and realized that his wife's worries, as usual, were unfounded. He loved the way she doted on and fussed over their children, though.

"Sirius!" Narcissa called out. "Where's Catharine? I thought she'd be here."

Sirius walked over and hugged his cousin in greeting. "She's stuck at work for a while longer, but she should be here in a bit."

"Good! I'm anxious to plan our next shopping trip!" For the first year Sirius and Catharine were dating, Narcissa had been frostily civil to the woman, but eventually she accepted that the relationship wasn't a passing thing and began instructing her on the ins and outs of the wizarding world. Over time, a strong friendship had developed between the two women, and when Sirius and Catharine finally married the previous summer, Narcissa was overjoyed at being in the bridal party and helping to plan a rather grander wedding than the couple would have hosted if left to their own devices.

"Charlie's late, too!" Molly had come out of the house levitating platters of sausages, roast chicken, and mashed potatoes.

Andromeda followed behind her with bowls of vegetables and baskets of bread. "Dora, have you heard from him?"

"I'm sure he'll be along soon, mum!" Dora helped Carina into a chair and then took a seat herself.

"I'm still not happy with this vacation idea," Ted grumbled to his daughter. "I don't think it's proper for you two to set off on your own."

"Oh, Dad!" Dora sighed. "I start auror training in three weeks. I think I deserve a bit of fun!"

"Not too much fun." Ted frowned and took a seat across from Dora. Andromeda kissed him on the top of his head and told him to settle down as she seated herself next to him.

"Children! Dinner! Go wash your hands and come eat!" Molly called out. Harry, Neville, Draco, and the Weasley kids came running. They took turns washing up at the garden fountain, splashing each other and giggling all the while.

Sirius cast a quick drying charm when he saw that the children were about to sit down at the table dripping wet and felt proud of himself that he'd headed off what he was sure would have been a classic Molly rant. Everyone found seats around the enormous table, and they were all about to dig in when Arthur stood and raised his glass. "I'd like to propose a toast—"

"Quick, pour me a glass, then!" Catharine called out as she rushed out of the house. She ran over and dropped a quick kiss on each of the children's heads on her way to her seat next to Sirius. She wiped her lips on her napkin before kissing him. "Why are all their heads wet?

"Oops! I guess that drying charm wasn't as thorough as I thought!" Sirius replied. "How was work?"

Arthur cleared his throat, and everyone quieted down again. "As I was saying, I would like to propose a toast—"

At that moment, Charlie apparated in. "Hi, everyone! Sorry I'm late!"

Dora knocked over her chair and tipped the table in her enthusiasm to embrace her boyfriend. Andromeda casually waved a wand and righted things, almost as if she'd been expecting her daughter's clumsiness. There was more commotion as everyone greeted Charlie, and it was several minutes before everyone was finally seated again.

Arthur stood again. "Third time's the charm, right!" he said with a smile. "A toast to my son Percy for being made prefect! Well done, Percy!"

"To Percy!" they all called out in unison.

Dinner was a loud but happy affair. Ron was anxious to show Charlie his Hogwarts letter and to hear about all of the places he and Dora planned to go. Fred and George pulled faces at each other and teased Ron for his eagerness to go to school until Percy reminded them that they'd been just as eager three years ago. There were more toasts as well—serious ones such as the ones to Neville, Harry, Ron, and Draco on being accepted to Hogwarts, to Molly for preparing such a fine feast, to Dora on her upcoming auror training, and sillier ones from Fred and George such as "To mashed potatoes!" and "To dung bombs!"

After dinner, when the sky grew dark, Fabian and Gideon began lighting fireworks for everyone's enjoyment, but they were interrupted by a silver lynx patronus instructing Frank and them to return to auror headquarters immediately. "Take over for us, will you, Charlie?" Gideon handed off the fireworks to his brother.

"Dinner was great, sis!" Fabian said as he kissed Molly's cheek.

"Yeah, thanks!" Gideon added.

"But what's going on?" Molly asked.

"Dunno," Gideon replied. "Probably has something to do with Dolohov. There's been a lot of dark wizard activity in Eastern Europe, and our best information says he's behind it."

"Be careful!" Molly called to her brothers as they bid farewell to everyone and apparated away.

Frank wasn't quite as quick as they were to leave. He shook hands with the men and hugged the women and children goodbye. Alice walked with him to the edge of the garden and gave him a long kiss goodbye. "Be careful, Frank! Let me know what's going on as soon as you can."

"I will. Let mother know I've gone, and tell her not to worry."

"I will. Goodbye, sweetheart."

Frank gave her one last, quick kiss. "Bye, darling."

The joy of the evening seemed to have departed along with the aurors, and, although Charlie set off the rest of the fireworks, hardly anyone seemed to have much enthusiasm. "They didn't say where in Eastern Europe," Molly commented. "Charlie, have you heard anything?"

Charlie stared at his feet for several moments. "Uhh, yes," he said finally. "I was going to talk to you and Dad about it, actually."

Molly blinked several times as her face fell into a frown. "About what, dear?"

"One of my acquaintances was killed…a muggle-born girl from France who'd just arrived in Romania."

"Oh, how horrible!" Molly's eyes filled with tears at this news.

"Yeah, it was." Charlie raked his fingers through his thick, red hair. "And, well, I've reconsidered my career as a dragon handler."

"You have?" Mr. Weasley's voice was filled with shock. Charlie had wanted to be a dragon handler since he was nine or ten.

"Yeah, Dad. I just feel it's my duty to do something. That's why I was late, actually. I…well, I secured a last minute spot in the next auror training group."

"You never did!" Molly was clearly not happy with this news.

There was a chorus of "Wow, that's great!", "Congratulations!", and "Well done!" from Charlie's brothers and sister. Charlie thanked them softly in a small voice, never taking his eyes off his mother. Sirius told Harry, Neville, Ron, and Draco to gather up their things as they were all sleeping over at Longbottom Hall that night. The other adults shooed the rest of the children away from Charlie and his parents so that they could have a few moments of privacy.

"Of course, it's not as if training dragons is particularly safe," Molly reasoned. "But I'd gotten used to the idea. I don't like that you're joining up now, when it seems things are heating up."

"That's _why_ I'm joining up, Mum. The talk is that Dolohov is gathering followers in Ukraine. I guess that's where his parents are from. It's you-know-who all over again, with all that nonsense of pure-blood supremacy and wizards ruling over muggles. I couldn't sit back and let Dora take it on by herself."

"She wouldn't be by herself." Arthur's voice was flat. "She'll have your uncles, and Mad-Eye, and Kingsley, and lots of other aurors. It's a dangerous job, Charlie."

"Yes, Dad, I know. But Chloe—that's the girl who died—she wasn't an auror, she'd only started training to be a dragon handler, and she died. They killed her just because she was muggle-born. I can't just sit by when things like that are happening. I have to do something."

Arthur clapped his son on the shoulder. "I understand, son, I do, and I'm terribly proud of you. Just be careful and stay safe."

"I will, Dad. I promise." Charlie looked at his mother, who engulfed him in an enormous hug as she fought back tears.

"My brave boy!" Molly whispered in his ear. "I am very, very proud of you."

Later that night, Harry, Ron, Draco, and Neville sat around the large room that Harry and Neville shared discussing the news of the evening. "An auror!" Ron said with a tone of awe. "My own brother's going to be an auror!"

"It's not like you don't already have aurors in the family," Draco reminded him.

"Yeah, but Charlie…my brother…an auror."

Neville shifted a little on his bed. "I'm going to be an auror one day, like my dad, and like my mum and Gran used to be."

"Yeah, I think I will too," said Ron. "How about you, Draco, Harry? What do you want to be?"

"All I want to do is play quidditch," Harry said with a shrug. "I want to play for England one day."

"Yeah, that'd be cool!" Ron's eyes looked kind of dreamy, as if he were imagining himself as a professional quidditch player.

Draco had been looking thoughtful. Neville asked him again what he might want to be when he grew up. "I'm not sure. I like potions. I have a lot of fun when dad lets me help him make one, but I don't think I'd like teaching. I like quidditch, of course, but I don't think I'd want to play professionally. It seems like it'd take the joy out of it. A healer, maybe? Or an apothecary? I'm fascinated with wands, too. I've read a lot about how they're made, and it seems really interesting."

"I guess we've got a lot of time to decide," Harry said.

"I hope my dad's all right," Neville worried aloud. "Did you hear what Charlie was saying about Dolohov? What do you make of that?"

Draco shrugged. "It seems like there will always be someone who's grabbing for power. I guess it's him, now. It's sad about that girl Charlie knew."

The other boys all agreed, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Ron shook his head from side to side as if trying to shake off the tension. "We're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow! We're finally getting our wands! Can you believe it?!"

They all started talking at once about how excited they were about getting their wands. Draco schooled them about the various wand woods, lengths, cores, and degrees of flexibility. At first, the other boys listened eagerly and each one speculated about the type of wand he might have, but as Draco continued on, they began to grow bored and soon they could hear Neville snoring.

"Oi, thanks for the bedtime story, there, Draco!" Ron said as he flung a pillow at Neville. Neville heaved it back without looking and hit Harry instead. Soon, the boys were all tossing pillows across the room at each other.

Breathless with laughter, Neville laid back down on his bed. "I'm really tired. I think I'm going to get to sleep."

They all settled into their beds and said good night. Just before he went to sleep, Ron heard Draco say dreamily, "Unicorn hair…the hardest to turn to Dark Arts."


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: I hope no one was terribly taken aback when the story jumped forward so many years! I will add in some of what happened during the nine years that the story skipped over as it progresses. Thanks so much for reading, and for the favorites, follows, and reviews!**

Neville, Draco, Ron, and Harry tromped downstairs the next morning, chatting loudly and happily about their trip to Diagon Alley. "I don't understand why we can't bring brooms," Harry complained. "It's not fair."

"Yeah," Draco agreed as he leapt the last few steps and rushed to have some breakfast.

Alice popped her head out of the dining room and put a finger to her lips. "Shhh! Your father's still sleeping. He only got in a few hours ago."

Relief flooded over Neville like a warm rain. "He's all right, then, Mum?" he asked in a much quieter voice.

"Oh, yes, sweetheart. He's fine. He just needs a bit of rest before we set out for Diagon Alley." Alice helped herself to a croissant and some butter. "Have some breakfast, boys."

This last utterance was hardly necessary, as the boys had already started piling food on their plates. In addition to the croissants, dishes of scrambled eggs, sausages, fried potatoes, and strawberries covered a large antique sideboard to the left of the table. Anxious to get outside, the boys ate quickly, so quickly in fact that Alice wondered if they even had time to taste their food.

"Where're Sirius and Cat?" Harry asked after hurriedly swallowing a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"They're still sleeping." Alice nibbled her croissant and took a sip of tea. "You four are up quite early, you know."

"We're excited, Mum," Neville said. "We're getting our wands today! Finally! Can we look at the owls, too?"

"Of course! Your dad and I have been wondering what to get you for your birthday. I never even thought of an owl." Alice's benign sarcasm wasn't lost on her son, who grinned at her.

"Can we go outside and fly for a while after breakfast, please?" Ron asked.

Alice nodded. "Certainly. Just stay within the wards."

"Thanks, Mum!" Neville vaulted from his chair in his haste to go fly with his friends. "Come on, then!"

Draco got up quickly as well and turned to go, but then, remembering his manners, he stopped and pushed his chair under the table. "Thanks for breakfast! It was delicious."

Ron muttered a quick, "Yeah, thanks!" and Harry said, "See ya later, Auntie Alice!" as they rushed to catch up with Neville.

"Be quiet inside the house, and don't slam the door!" Alice called after them in a loud whisper. The boys exited quickly but quietly, leaving her alone with her tea and breakfast.

She'd always loved quiet mornings. She felt strengthened by the peaceful stillness and promise that a new day seemed to bring, and over the years the early morning often seemed the only time she had to herself. Sirius and Augusta were night owls rather than larks, and Frank was so often working odd hours or off on a mission. She'd been relieved, as she always was when her husband returned after being abruptly called away, to see Frank come back unscathed, but his news filled her with a sense of foreboding and dread. She tried to sweep those thoughts from her mind and enjoy a bit more of the morning's peace.

Pouring herself another cup of tea, she rose from the table and went into the sun room so that she could watch the boys flying around the garden. She noticed that Harry's trousers barely reached his lower shins and made a mental note to mention it to Catharine and Sirius. Harry, Ron, and Draco had all grown so much over the past year, and she knew Neville was a bit jealous. Many times, she'd reassured him that he'd have a growth spurt soon and would catch up to his friends. As she watched the boys throw an old quaffle around as they zipped through the air, she felt such a sense of pride—not just for her own son, but for all four boys. Their close friendship gave her hope for the world, and a single tear escaped her eye and ran down her cheek as she thought about how much she would miss them when they left for Hogwarts.

Still in her dressing gown, Augusta joined Alice in the sunroom some time later, and the two women chatted as they watched the children play. Augusta had risen briefly when Frank had gotten home and shared his news, but, as though by some unspoken agreement, they didn't discuss it. Instead, they talked of the day ahead—purchases they intended to make in Diagon Alley, whether to lunch at the Leaky Cauldron or at the new restaurant that had just opened up, and what to buy Neville and Harry for their birthdays.

A while later, they heard Sirius and Catharine come down the stairs, and a few minutes later the couple came into the room. Each of them carried a cup of tea and a croissant, and they both still looked rather sleepy. "Did Frank get back okay?" Sirius asked.

"What's wrong?" Catharine asked. A worried expression had come over her face as she entered the room.

Augusta and Alice exchanged a look. "I suppose we may as well tell you," Augusta sighed. "Sit down."

"What's happened? Is Frank okay?" Anxiety made Sirius look much older than his years.

"Yes, Frank's fine," Alice reassured him.

Sirius heaved a great sigh of relief and collapsed into the nearest armchair. Catharine sat down beside him. "What is it, then?" she asked.

"Frank was called out last night to investigate a double murder. It was Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel." Alice wiped a tear off her cheek.

"How awful!" Sirius exclaimed.

Augusta nodded slowly. "And whoever killed them has the stone."

"What?" Sirius rose from his chair and began to pace. His shock at the murder of the famous couple had transformed into anxiety and agitation. "Do they have any idea who did it?"

"Who are the Flamels? What's the stone?" Catharine asked.

"Nicolas Flamel created the Philosopher's Stone, which can turn any metal into gold and can also be used to make the Elixir of Life, which can be consumed to extend one's natural life. Nicolas and his wife Perenelle were over six hundred years old." Augusta's explanation made Catharine's jaw drop.

"So now the stone is in the hands of a murderer?" Catharine's question was obviously rhetorical. "How horrible!"

"Who did it? Do they have any idea?" Sirius asked again.

Augusta sighed. "Frank said the bodies had a faint purplish glow, which, of course, leads them to believe it was Dolohov.

"Let's not tell the boys," Alice suggested. "It's just happened, and the news won't be out until at least tomorrow, I hope. I don't want to ruin their day! They're so excited about getting their school things, especially their wands."

Sirius nodded. His head swam in a sea of dark thoughts. "This could be it, though, Alice. With the stone, they could bring Voldemort back." He turned his head to Cat as he heard a sharp intake of breath from her direction. She'd gone pale and shook slightly. Sirius took her hand. "Maybe we shouldn't even send them to school. Maybe they'd be safer here, with us."

"Oh, surely not!" Augusta said. "With all the protections Dumbledore has on the castle, and with Dumbledore himself present?"

Sirius shrugged. "We should talk about it, I think."

"We will," Alice promised. "But not today. Let's not say anything unless we decide they shouldn't go."

"Yes, of course," Sirius agreed.

Catharine sat silently musing at their solidarity. It had been a bit off-putting to her at first, and even though she could clearly feel that there was nothing between Alice and Sirius but a deep, profound friendship, she still occasionally felt a pang of jealousy at their closeness.

She'd initially balked at the idea of them living at Longbottom Hall after they were married. The idea had seemed so odd, so strange, but it was Harry and Neville's brother-like bond that had finally convinced her to give it a try, and she was glad of it now. She loved living at Longbottom Hall. She loved the grandeur of the old, sprawling, beautiful house and the creature comforts that accompanied it, such as never having to cook or clean due to the efficiency of the house elves. She loved the communal nature of these families living together and getting along. At times, of course, there were disagreements, but she'd never seen one turn into a row. Instead, the parties who disagreed would state their cases calmly, listen to each other, and find some sort of consensus. It was the way her parents had behaved, only on a larger scale, and she had been surprised but pleased when her own voice had been valued equally to the more established members of the household.

When Frank awakened, he stumbled into the sun room to join them and sat down on the couch next to his wife. "Hello, all," he said sleepily.

Alice leaned over and kissed him good morning. "You look exhausted! If you're too tired to go today, I'm sure the boys would understand."

"No way!" Frank sat up a little straighter and tried to open his eyes wider. He blinked a few times and yawned. "Mother, do you have a pepper-up potion on hand? I seem to have gone through all of mine."

Augusta eyed him appraisingly. "I'll only let you have it if you promise to get a good night's sleep tonight."

Frank nodded. "That's a deal I'm glad to make!"

Augusta patted him on the knee and went to dress and get the potion. Alice rose from the couch and called the boys in. "Get cleaned up," she instructed them as they entered the house. "We'll be leaving for Diagon Alley in just a little while. Sirius, would you mind asking the Weasleys and Severus and Narcissa if they can meet us at the Leaky Cauldron in an hour?"

"Sure!" Sirius went to floo-call their friends and returned a few minutes later. "We're all set!" he said.

Augusta returned with the potion, which Frank gulped down. Seconds later, he looked far more alert and the bags under his eyes receded. "Have you two filled them in?" he asked.

"Yes," Alice replied.

"Good," Frank said. "I got an owl this morning. I'm to accompany Fudge to Ukraine to meet with the minister there. He wants to offer our help and support in apprehending Dolohov and his followers. I may be gone for quite a while, but I've arranged to have off for at least a few hours for Neville and Harry's birthday party and another few hours to see them off to school. All bets are off if we're in the thick of things, of course."

"Thank you, darling. I hope things go well." Alice brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and looked pensive.

"Maybe, with the British and Ukrainian aurors working together, you can end this mess before something awful happens," Sirius said hopefully.

"When do you have to leave?" Catharine asked.

"I'm not sure. Fudge is arranging the meeting. It could be tomorrow, or two weeks from tomorrow."

"Well, let's not let this news spoil the day," Alice said. "The boys are so excited!"

A few minutes later, the boys returned. "Can we go to Ollivander's first?" Neville asked.

"I don't see why not, if that's what you all want," Sirius said.

Ron, Harry, and Draco all agreed that they wanted to get their wands first, so the group set out. When they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, everyone was waiting for them. Severus, Narcissa, and Carina; Fabian and Gideon; and Molly, Arthur, Percy, Fred, George, and Ginny. Realizing that shopping in such a large group would be quite difficult, they decided to divide and conquer.

"You two go with Ron and the others to get their wands," Gideon suggested to Arthur and Molly. "Fabian and I can take the other kids round to get the books and potions supplies. Then we can all meet back here for a bite of lunch before we do the rest of the shopping."

When the slightly smaller group arrived at Ollivander's, they were glad to see that no one else was in the shop since they fairly well filled it up all on their own. Mr. Ollivander greeted them and asked how he could be of service.

"We need wands," the boys said in unison.

"Aha! All four of you off to Hogwarts, then?" Mr. Ollivander asked.

The boys nodded, seeming shy all of a sudden. "You go first, Ron," Draco said.

"No, you!" Draco said back to him.

"I don't mind going first," said Neville, craning his neck around to glimpse the looks of pride on his parents' and Gram's faces.

Neville stepped forward, and Mr. Ollivander waved his wand and caused a measuring tape to fly around and measure him in every which way imaginable. He recorded the measurements in a small book and finally gave a satisfied nod. He pulled several boxes off of the shelves and placed them on the counter.

"Try this one," Mr. Ollivander said as he handed Neville a wand so dark it was nearly black.

Neville gave the wand a small wave, which caused Mr. Ollivander's hair stood on end. "No, not that one. Definitely not."

He handed Neville another wand. This one was a dark reddish brown, and very long. Neville smiled when he held it in his hand. He waved it with a flourish, and even before the red sparks flew forth, Mr. Ollivander began nodding his head in a satisfied way.

"That's brilliant!" Neville said. "It just feels right!"

"Cherry and unicorn hair," Mr. Ollivander said. "Thirteen inches in length, and quite springy." He made more notes in his little book.

After Neville's success, the other boys were much more eager to allow their wands to choose them. They all started saying, "I'll go next!" They laughed, and Harry and Draco agreed that Ron should go next.

Ron stood straight and tall while the measuring took place. A few mishaps occurred on his first few wand trials: a book flew off a shelf and nearly hit Harry in the head, a couple of wand boxes crashed to the floor, and several pieces of parchment flew at Ron and gave him a nasty paper cut. The next wand refused to perform any magic at all. Finally, though, Ron took a wand from Mr. Ollivander and smiled in the same way that Neville had. He waved it around, and the same red sparks emitted from its tip.

"Excellent!" Mr. Ollivander said. "Willow and unicorn hair."

Draco went next, and all the while the measuring tape was flying around him, Mr. Ollivander kept muttering, "Yes, yes…I know just the wand…just the wand…yes, yes!" Draco told him that he'd been hoping his wand would have a unicorn hair core as well, since those were reputedly the hardest to turn to Dark Magic, but Mr. Ollivander didn't seem to hear him.

The old wizard scurried away to the back of the shop after the measuring and returned with just one wand. "This is the one, I think, for you, my boy!" he said as he handed Draco the wand. Draco took it and his face immediately broke into a wide smile. It emitted red sparks as he waved it.

"Right in one! Right in one! Well done, you old codger!" Mr. Ollivander praised himself.

Neville and Ron looked at each other with raised eyebrows, but Draco seemed to be terribly impressed. "How'd you do it, Mr. Ollivander? How'd you know?"

Mr. Ollivander scratched his chin and pondered his answer. "It's…hard to say. Every once in a while…not very often, mind you…I just _know."_

"What's it made of?" Draco asked.

"Hawthorn and unicorn hair. Ten inches precisely." The old wizard scribbled in his book again.

Draco opened his mouth to ask another question, but Harry stepped forward and said, "It's my turn, now." He'd been having a hard time containing his excitement, and it felt like something was inside his stomach and trying to get out. He hoped he'd get his wand as quickly as Draco had.

But it was not to be. Harry tried wand after wand after wand, wreaking havoc to the shop as he did so. Frustrated and irritated as he was, though, the quest for the perfect wand only seemed to invigorate the wand maker. He darted all around the shop, occasionally opening a box and putting his ear to the wand. He brought boxes and boxes of wands to no avail.

Harry felt guilty for taking so long. "The rest of you can go ahead, you know. You don't have to wait. You must be starving!"

"No way, mate!" Ron protested.

"We're not going anywhere," Narcissa reassured him. She shushed Carina, who was fussing a bit, and pulled a small tin of biscuits from her bag. She gave one to her daughter and passed the tin around to the others.

"You were kind enough to go last, Harry, and we want to see you get your wand!" Molly said.

"I've rarely had a case that stumped me so," Mr. Ollivander chortled gleefully. He approached Harry again and redid the measurements, this time by hand. If Harry had thought the previous measurements were thorough, they were nothing compared to this. Mr. Ollivander seemed to measure every inch of him, even across his forehead.

"Ahhh…what's this, then?" he asked when he saw Harry's scar. "How did you come by this scar? What did you say your name was again?"

"Erm…I've had the scar since I was a baby. I'm Harry Potter."

"Not James and Lily Potter's son! Really!" Mr. Ollivander had leaned down and brought his face so close to Harry's forehead that the old man's nose touched his cheek.

Sirius had had enough. He stepped forward and put a hand on the wand maker's shoulder. The older man apologized immediately. "I've just never seen anything like it!" he said to Sirius. "Did he get it that night?"

Sirius nodded. He'd told Harry that his parents had died protecting him from Voldemort and that Harry had gotten his scar in the process, but he had never told him that the scar was the result of the killing curse. He feared Mr. Ollivander knew that it had been the avada kedavra that had given Harry his scar, and he hoped that the old man would keep his mouth shut. Cat apparently sensed his growing anxiety because she came and put her arm around him.

"I wonder…I wonder…no…but perhaps…well, it's worth a try," Mr. Ollivander muttered to himself as he sped to the back of the shop. He returned with an extremely dusty box, which he opened with a flourish.

Harry took the wand, and immediately his hand felt warm and tingly. The wand felt alive in his hand, almost as if it were a part of him. Harry had never felt anything like this before, and he knew, even before he waved the wand, that this wand had chosen him. To his delight, the red sparks flew merrily from the tip of the wand."

"Aha! Marvelous! Wondrous!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed. "But curious! So very curious!"

"What's curious?" Harry asked.

Mr. Ollivander started to answer, but Sirius cut him off. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Ollivander. How much do we owe you?" Sirius growled at the old man.

Mr. Ollivander looked taken aback. He blinked at Sirius and told him the price of the wands. Sirius paid for all of them, quickly, waving away protests from the others that he wasn't supposed to pay for all of the wands, and turned to leave. Harry looked at him in bewilderment. He'd never seen his godfather behave in such a way.

"Come along, Harry," Sirius said as the others filed out the shop door.

Harry turned back to Mr. Ollivander. "What's curious about my wand?"

"Ahh…well…you see…erm…only that your friends' wands all have unicorn hair for a core, and yours is phoenix feather." The wand maker turned away from him and began writing in his book again. "Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches."

Harry knew the old man was lying, knew that there was something about his wand that he wasn't telling him, and about his scar as well. Something that Sirius didn't want him to know.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long since the last update! I think I have deleted more than I've written lately!**

Over the next several days, Harry tried to get more information out of Sirius about his scar. The first time he asked him, Sirius pretended not to hear and distracted Harry by asking him questions about which owl he had preferred.

"You seemed to like the eagle owl quite a lot. Was he your favorite?"

"Well, I did like him, but I think Draco really wanted him. I liked the snowy owl. She was really beautiful, and her eyes looked highly intelligent."

Sirius nodded in agreement. "She was very pretty. The thing I liked about her most, though, was the way she nipped my hand without doing any damage. I had an owl once in my younger days that drew blood every time he gave me what I can only assume he thought was an affectionate nip. He was a handsome bird, though, sort of a dark reddish brown color." And then Sirius had launched into a tale of how he and Harry's dad had sent letters back and forth during the summers with his owl, whose name had been Gerald.

Harry didn't realize until hours later that Sirius had dodged his question. The second time he asked Sirius about his scar, his godfather had asked him, "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, because it seems like there's something you're not telling me," Harry had replied.

Sirius had agreed that the sensation of not knowing something could indeed be frustrating, and didn't he want to learn to cast a shield charm with his new wand? Harry recognized that his godfather was sidestepping the question again, but, as he did very much want to learn to cast a shield charm, he went along with it.

After several hours of practice, both Harry and Neville had managed a shaky shield, but they collapsed when Sirius cast rictumsempra on them, and both boys doubled over with laughter. Sirius reversed the spell and suggested that they get a bit of quidditch practice in before dinner.

Harry decided to try one more time. They had enjoyed a particularly good dinner of lamb chops, roasted potatoes, and steamed asparagus. It was one of Sirius' favorite meals, and they were just starting on his very favorite dessert, apple pie with caramel-vanilla ice cream. Sirius seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood, and Harry thought it an excellent time to ask again.

"Sirius," Harry said. "Could you please tell me about my scar?"

Sirius put down his spoon and looked around the table. No one said anything. He drew a long breath and said, "Harry, I know you'll hate to hear this, but I've told you all I'm going to tell you for now. Later, when you're older, we'll discuss it in more detail."

"So you're saying there _is_ something you're not telling me." Harry fought to keep the accusation from his voice.

Sirius sighed. He was obviously feeling frustrated, but when he spoke, his voice was quite gentle. "As your godfather, it's sometimes my job to withhold information until you're old enough to handle it. You're very mature for your age, but you're still very young. I don't want you to worry about your scar right now. In fact, I don't want you to worry about anything. That's my job, for now. Okay?"

Harry shrugged and nodded. He could tell that continuing to question his godfather would be pointless, and he might even make him angry. Sirius had rarely been angry with Harry that he could remember, and it simply wasn't worth the risk. It rankled to be told he wasn't old enough for the information, though! He was almost eleven, for Godric's sake!

Later that evening, after Harry and Neville had settled into their beds, Harry stared at the ceiling thinking about how he could've gotten his scar. It seemed strange to him that he'd never really analyzed it before, but rather had just accepted Sirius' story at face value: his parents had died protecting him from a dark wizard and Harry had gotten the scar in the process. He wondered how it was that he had just recently noticed how woefully inadequate this story was. Who was the dark wizard? Why had he been after his parents? How did the wizard kill them? And, of course, what sort of curse had given him his scar? He'd thought about it a lot over the last few days, and he knew if it had been a mundane wound, then Sirius could have healed it without it scarring.

As if Neville could read his mind, he said without preamble, "Certainly Sirius isn't the only person who knows about it."

"Well, yeah, I mean, I'm sure your parents know about it, and probably Uncle Remus, Uncle Sev, and Aunt Cissa, too, but they'd never tell. They'd tell me to ask Sirius."

Neville rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow so that he was facing Harry. "Yeah, but we'll be at Hogwarts, soon. Other people there will know. _Hagrid_ probably knows."

Harry's face broke into a wide grin. Over the years, Hagrid had inadvertently revealed things to them. One time he'd even accidentally let slip what their parents had gotten them for Christmas. "No way! Surely Sirius wouldn't have told Hagrid! He's way too easy to gain information from."

"We never gave him away, though…well, not since we were five or six, at least. And if he knows, it's likely that he's known since we were babies. Sirius wouldn't have been immediately concerned with him telling us."

Harry felt a pang of sadness at that. He knew his godfather had been devastated when his parents had died, and of course, Harry felt quite upset about it, too, at times. But, not having known his parents first-hand and only having learned about them through Sirius and other peoples' stories, sometimes they seemed more like favorite characters in a book than real people.

But Harry didn't express any of this to Neville. "It's worth a try, anyway. Good idea, Nev!"

Both Harry and Neville were soon distracted from plotting a way to find out more about Harry's scar, though. Every day, they learned and practiced spells with their new wands, always under the supervision of Gram, one of Neville's parents, or Sirius. They couldn't believe how much they were learning. Their shield charms had gotten a lot stronger, and they'd also learned the disarming charm and a very basic healing spell. In addition to that, Cat had been teaching them first aid and something called CPR (they never could remember what the letters stood for).

Also, their birthdays—their eleventh birthdays!— were coming up fast, and the house was aflutter with preparations. Each year, the two boys had a combined birthday party to which all of their friends and family were invited. It was one of the highlights of their year, and they always looked forward to it.

One morning, Harry and Neville came down to breakfast to find their parents and Gram already seated. They seemed to be discussing something very important. Harry glanced at the paper that Auntie Alice had just put down and saw the headline "A New Dark Lord?" She saw him glancing at it and quickly turned it over so that it showed an advertisement for Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"So!" Auntie Alice said brightly. "We were just discussing your birthday! Did you two want the traditional joint birthday celebration, or would you prefer separate parties this year since it's such a special birthday?"

Harry and Neville looked at each other, and it was clear that neither of them had considered the idea of a separate party. It reminded Harry of when they'd asked to move out of the nursery when they were around seven, and Gram had asked which rooms they'd wanted. He and Neville had to explain that they wanted to move out of the nursery because they were no longer babies, but they still preferred to share a room.

"Why would we want separate parties?" Neville asked. "That would be a bit silly, considering our birthdays are a day apart and we have all the same friends."

Sirius sipped his tea and looked at his wife, who was smirking at him. "We just thought we'd ask. A combined party is fine, as long as it's what you both want."

"Yeah, it is. Thanks!" Harry still felt a bit puzzled as he filled his plate with kippers, toast, and marmalade. "Since it is a special birthday, though, could we invite all the kids from our year?"

"I don't know. That would be…what? Forty or fifty kids, roughly? You think, Frank?"

"Something like that, yes." Frank's smile looked a bit weak. "We don't even know all of their names. I suppose we could ask McGonagall to send out the invitations since she knows all their names and addresses."

"That would be great!" said Harry. "I was just thinking, if we could all get to know each other a bit, before the sorting, I mean, it might make things easier."

"Especially for the muggleborns," Neville interjected.

"Yeah, I mean, I was thinking what it must've been like for my mum." Harry said. "She didn't know anyone except Uncle Sev, and there have to be some kids who don't know anyone at all. That's got to be scary."

Harry looked at his godfather, who looked back at him with an expression of what he thought was pride, but he wasn't sure. Sirius cleared his throat and took a large gulp of his wine. Harry wondered if perhaps they had asked for too much. "If that's too big of a party, we can just have our normal one."

Sirius shook his head. "I'm just very, very proud of you both. You're growing into fine young men. Wouldn't you agree, Alice?"

Harry looked at Auntie Alice. She had been wiping the corner of her eye with her napkin, which she now threw at Sirius. "They're a damn sight more considerate than you were at their age, that's for sure!"

"Oh, absolutely! Without question." Sirius laughed and looked around the table for confirmation. "I suppose you've talked us into it. I'll speak to Professor McGonagall tomorrow."

"Happy Birthday, Harry! And happy birthday to you as well, Neville!" Florean Fortescue stood at the door of his shop and greeted them as they arrived for their party.

"Thanks, Mr. Fortescue!" they said.

The round-faced wizard beamed at them. They'd been patronizing Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour since before they could remember, and it had always been one of the boys' favorite places. Sirius shook Florean's hand and thanked him for letting them take over his shop for the party. "It is my pleasure! I hope everything is to your liking!" Florean said.

Bouquets of brightly colored balloons, yards of streamers, and a large sign that said, "Happy Birthday Harry and Neville" in iridescent letters adorned the shop. There was a large table bedecked with a swath of shimmering gold material reserved for presents and another laden with two giant, multi-tiered cakes.

Frank looked at Harry and Neville's smiling faces and said, "Everything looks wonderful, Florean. Thanks so much!"

"Just a few minutes until the guests arrive, yes?" Mr. Fortescue asked. "Would you like for me to take a few pictures in the meantime?"

Sirius handed the older wizard his camera and went to stand by the cakes with the rest of the family. Augusta arranged them, with Sirius and Cat to the left of the cake and Frank and Alice to the right. She had Harry and Neville front and center, both grinning widely with their arms draped over the other's shoulders. Then she went to stand behind the boys so that both cakes would be visible. Mr. Fortescue snapped a few pictures.

A bell rang as the door opened to reveal a young girl with bushy brown hair. She peeked her head in and said, "I'm early, aren't I? Sorry! I always seem to be early! I'm Hermione Granger. Thanks so much for inviting me! Shall I wait outside? I don't want to interrupt!"

Cat rushed over to greet her. "Please come in! We're so pleased you could come." Hermione entered the shop with her parents trailing behind her. Cat hastened to make introductions and began making small talk with Mr. and Mrs. Granger. She had to stop herself from laughing at the relief on their faces when she told them she was an oncologist, and soon the adults were all conversing easily.

Hermione placed her gifts on the empty table and wished Harry and Neville happy birthday. The boys thanked her rather awkwardly, and then looked around the room as if searching for something to talk about. "Erm…so…were you surprised when you got your Hogwarts letter?" Neville finally asked.

Hermione smiled, revealing rather large front teeth. "I'd say so, yes, but it did explain so much. I never knew why odd things seemed to happen when I was angry or afraid. I'm terribly excited to learn everything there is to know about magic!"

"Yeah, so're we," Harry replied.

Ron and Ginny entered next and ran over and joined Harry, Neville, and Hermione. Neville made introductions, and Hermione looked as crestfallen as Ginny did when she found out the other girl wouldn't be going to Hogwarts until the following year.

When Luna arrived, Hermione asked if she was going to Hogwarts. "Oh, yes!" Luna replied airily. Hermione's face lit up in a smile for a moment until Luna added, "I'm sure I'll get my letter when I turn eleven."

"Aren't there _any_ girls going to Hogwarts this year?" Hermione huffed.

Ron shrugged. "I'm sure there are…we just don't know any of them!"

"But we did invite them!" Harry assured her. "I'm sure the'll be along very soon."

The bell on the door rang loudly as Draco pushed it open. He stood in the doorway for a moment, surveying the crowd. "I'm here!" he announced. "The party can officially begin!"

The boys all laughed, and Hermione muttered, "Someone's awfully full of himself, isn't he?"

"That's just Draco," Ginny replied. "But he's good fun!"

Draco added his gifts to the pile of presents that had begun to accumulate and then rushed over and clapped Harry and Neville on the shoulder. "Happy birthday!"

Soon the ice cream parlour was full of children, and he and Frank were running around and snapping pictures. Sirius noticed that the girls and boys had split off from each other, and he laughed to himself. _That will change in a few years!_

Cat called for everyone's attention and explained a muggle party game called Musical Chairs to the children. Sirius thought it sounded a bit tame, but the kids seemed to enjoy it. Harry and Neville had both been giggling too hard to properly concentrate on the game and had been eliminated early on. It didn't seem to bother them much, and they both stood around pulling faces and trying to make the other kids laugh. Draco and Hermione were the last ones in the game, but when their hips touched on the last chair, Draco blushed and fell out of the chair. Hermione jumped up and graciously extended a hand up to Draco and told him "Good game!" Cat gave her a basket of sweets for a prize and then explained the next game.

After the games, Harry and Neville opened their presents. Amid the sneakoscopes, remembralls, broomstick servicing kits, and other magical gifts, there were also two sets of books. Hermione had gotten _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy for Harry and the _Chronicles of Narnia_ series for Neville.

"They're some of my favorite books," she told them. "I hope you'll like them!"

Harry read the synopsis of the first book. "Sounds interesting! Thanks!"

Dean Thomas' gift also looked rather odd. He'd gotten a black and white checked ball for each of the boys. Harry held it up and looked at it quizzically. "Is it some sort of new quaffle?" he asked. "I thought they were all orange."

Dean laughed. "You're joking, right? It's a football. What's a quaffle, anyway?"

"Ahh…okay…thanks!" said Neville. "Well, we'll teach you about quaffles, and you can teach us about footballs. Deal?"

"Deal!" said Dean.

After the last gift was opened, the children began to chant, "Cake! Cake! Cake!"

"I think it's time for cake!" Frank called out in a loud voice. He led the guests in singing "Happy Birthday", Harry and Neville blew out their candles, and then Alice and Cat started cutting and serving the cakes while Mr. Fortescue dished out the ice cream.

All in all, Sirius thought it had turned out to be a highly successful party in what had been a week of parties. They'd had birthday teas for Harry and Neville on their actual birthdays with just the family, and both boys had been delighted with their owls and new Nimbus 2000 broomsticks. Now, as parents arrived to pick up their children, Sirius smiled at their somewhat sweaty, but definitely happy faces as they chatted to their parents about the party and had to be reminded to say thank you to their hosts.

After all of the guests had departed, Augusta asked, "So, did you two enjoy your party?"

"Oh, yeah! It was brilliant" Harry said.

"Best birthday ever!" agreed Neville.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was already bustling with students when Harry, Neville, and their families arrived. They spotted several kids who had attended their party and enthusiastically returned their waves as they looked around for Ron and Draco. A moment later, Harry spotted a sea of ginger-haired people and nudged Neville. "There's Ron!"

The two boys rushed over and greeted Ron exuberantly. "Have you seen Draco?" Neville asked.

"Nah, I don't think he's here yet. Oh, wait! There he is! Just coming through."

Harry followed Ron's gaze and saw Draco emerging from the brick wall. Draco ran a hand through his blond hair and adjusted his tie. _Leave it to Draco! The rest of us are all in jeans and t-shirts!_ Draco sported a black button-down shirt, gray tie, and grey slacks. His mother was also impeccably dressed, as usual, in a pale grey skirt-suit. Harry waved his hands in the air to get their attention.

"Come on, let's get aboard and find a good compartment," Ron urged them after Draco had caught up to them.

"Hold it a minute!" Sirius took the lens cap from his camera. "Let me just get a few pictures of you four in front of the train."

Harry groaned. "C'mon, Sirius! There won't be any places left if we don't hurry!"

"It will only take a minute," Augusta said. "And the pictures will last forever!"

Reluctantly, the boys posed as Frank and Sirius took several pictures, endured a few last minute words of advice from their parents, and hugged their families good-bye.

"Promise to write as soon as you get to your dormitories!" Alice and Cat demanded almost simultaneously.

Harry and Neville agreed, and their parents helped them load their trunks onto the train. Finally, after "one last hug", the boys were allowed to board. They searched half the train before they finally found an empty compartment, and the four friends settled in.

Harry looked out the window and spotted Hermione saying good-bye to her parents. Tears were running down her mother's face, and her father wore a forced smile. When Hermione turned to face the Hogwarts Express, for the briefest moment she looked absolutely terrified. Then she smoothed her pleated skirt and adopted a placid, almost haughty countenance. Her eyes met Harry's, and he held up a hand in greeting. She smiled and returned the wave.

Harry pulled down the window and called out to her. "Hi, Hermione! You can come sit with us if you want!"

"Thanks, Harry!" she said, her voice full of gratitude.

Harry sat back down and saw the looks of consternation on his friends' faces. "What?" he said. "She doesn't know anyone."

"Won't it be strange for her to be in a compartment with a bunch of boys?" Ron asked. "Why couldn't she sit with the Patil twins or Lavender or some other girl she met at your party."

"I dunno," said Harry. "Maybe she will."

"It's fine," Neville assured them. "Harry did the right thing, inviting her to join us."

Draco rolled his eyes, but when the bushy-haired girl opened the compartment door a few moments later, he scooted over to make room for her in the seat and said, "Hello, Hermione! Are you excited to be off to Hogwarts?"

She grinned eagerly. "I am! I've been reading _Hogwarts, A History_ by Bathilda Bagshot. It's ever so interesting! Have you read it?"

The boys all shook their heads. "Are we allowed to do magic on the train?" she asked. "I've been dying to try a few spells, but our Hogwarts letters strictly forbade magic outside of school. Does it count, you think? Being on the train?"

Neville shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe. What were you thinking of trying?"

"Something simple, at first, I think." She looked pensive for a moment. "The light spell, maybe?"

"Go on, then. Give it a go!" Draco encouraged her.

Hermione took her wand from her bag and said, "Lumos!" Immediately, her wand tip lit up and brightened the shadows of the sunlit compartment. She giggled with delight. "Nox," she said, and the wand went dark. She pointed her wand at the door. "Colloportus!" she said, and the door sealed itself with a squeak.

"Excellent!" said Draco, also pulling out his wand. "Alohomora!" The door unsealed and cracked open a bit.

"Have you been reading _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1?"_ she asked.

Draco nodded. "I've been practicing a bit at home, too." He sounded rather sheepish.

"And you haven't gotten in trouble?" Hermione asked.

"No. In a wizarding household, the ministry can't tell who performed magic, and I've only used minor spells, so it's fairly safe." Draco looked a little guilty.

"I've been absolutely devouring our textbooks," Hermione exclaimed. "They're so interesting!"

"She'll be in Ravenclaw, for sure," Ron muttered to Neville.

"Do you think?" asked Hermione. "I've read all about the houses, of course, and Ravenclaw seems like a very good house to be in, but I've been hoping for Gryffindor. What house do you want to be in?"

Ron shrugged. "My whole family's been in Gryffindor. I'd probably be disowned if I went to a different one!"

Padma Patil stopped in to say hello, and they chatted with her for a few minutes. "Could I perhaps join you? My sister and Lavender Brown are driving me crazy!"

"Sure!" Hermione agreed.

Padma settled herself down between Ron and Harry. "Fancy a game of Exploding Snap?"

So they whiled away the trip chatting and playing Exploding Snap, pausing only to purchase large amounts of sweets from the trolley. Ron's brother, Percy, peeked his head in a while later and alerted them to the fact that they were nearing Hogsmeade Station and should change into their robes. The six of them hastened to pull their new Hogwarts robes on over their clothes.

The previously playful atmosphere of the compartment became suddenly more somber as each of them contemplated their arrival at Hogwarts and the upcoming sorting. Neville accidentally put his robes on backward, which ordinarily would have made Harry laugh, but he only grinned a little as he helped his friend turn them around. Finally, the train slowed, and they bunched together at the window, all eager for a first glance.

Harry saw Hagrid out on the platform calling out to the first-years. The children looked a bit skeptical approaching him, which Harry supposed made sense. If he didn't know Hagrid was about the nicest person you could ever meet, he'd probably be hesitant to meet the enormous, hairy man as well. He turned and saw that Padma and Hermione's eyes were both wide as saucers.

"Don't be alarmed," Harry assured them. "That's Hagrid. He's a really nice bloke. We've been friends with him since we were babies. You'll like him a lot."

He and Neville led the way out of the compartment, onto the platform, and over to where Hagrid was still calling, "Firs' years, with me, now! Firs' years!" When the half-giant saw them, he gave them a wink and waved to them.

Hagrid led them to the small boats that would take them across the lake to the castle. Harry, Neville and Ron hopped into a boat just as they heard Hagrid telling them, "Three to a boat. Load up now, and we'll be on our way!"

Draco looked a bit put-out, but he stepped into the next boat and held a hand up to help Padma and Hermione in with him. Padma made a comment about how nice it was that he was such a gentleman, which caused Draco to blush slightly. Ron laughed aloud, but Harry and Neville managed to suppress their amusement. Draco muttered something under his breath, and Ron fell backwards into the water.

As Hagrid scooped up a sputtering and shivering Ron and placed him back into the boat, Draco looked away and whistled. Harry couldn't help laughing and thought that Draco's revenge had been smoothly done. He hadn't even seen him pull out his wand.

"Yeh all righ', there, Ron?" Hagrid asked. Ron nodded. "Ask Professor McGonagall ter do er dryin' charm once yeh're up at the castle." Hagrid straightened back up and addressed them as a group. "Everybody, ready, then? All righ', off you go!"

The boats began floating toward the castle, which seemed to glow in the darkness. Harry knew he and Neville had visited Hogwarts a few times when they were really young, but he couldn't remember it. He thought it looked quite impressive, and very beautiful. Most of the other students gazed at the castle and remarked about how large or majestic it was, but Harry noticed that Hermione was looking at the water. Harry asked her what she was looking for.

"Oh, I was hoping to get a glimpse of the giant squid. I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History,_ " she replied as she continued looking around at the water.

"Why would you want to see a giant squid?" Lavender Brown asked from the next boat over.

Hermione shrugged. "I just thought it would be very interesting."

Padma nodded. "I'm sure we'll get a chance to see it sometime this year. I think it would be a sight to see as well!"

Pavarti and Lavender exchanged a look that clearly indicated that they thought it was odd that the other two girls would be interested in something so foolish. Personally, Harry agreed that the giant squid would be really cool to see, but, as he didn't want to fuel an argument, he remained silent.

A few minutes later, the boats were docking and Professor McGonagall began to shepherd the first years into the Chamber of Reception. "Mr. Weasley!" the professor exclaimed. "What happened? Why are you all wet?"

Ron glared at Draco before answering. "I fell into the lake, professor. Hagrid told me to ask you to please do a drying charm."

"Certainly!" She flicked her wand, and Ron's soggy robes were suddenly dry. "Do be more careful in future! Off you go!"

They trudged up to the door of the reception chamber, where other students had already congregated. Professor McGonagall looked around the boats and seemed satisfied that all of the students had safely disembarked. She weaved her way through the gathering first years, opened the door, and led them inside. "Wait here. I shall return for you momentarily."

After she went through another door that obviously led into the castle, Ron rounded on Draco. "You prat!" he said. "I can't believe you pushed me into the lake!"

Draco feigned a look of pure innocence. "Me? Push you into the lake?" He turned to Hermione and Padma. "Did either of you see me push Ron into the lake?" The girls giggled and shook their heads. "There you are, then, Ron. Don't try to push your clumsiness off on me." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Serves you right, though."

Ron laughed and shoved Draco lightly. "Careful, there, or you'll lose your reputation as a gentleman!"

Harry and Neville laughed along with Draco and Ron, but then a pinched-faced boy shoved through the crowd and looked at Draco with disgust. "I never thought I'd see the day that a Malfoy consorted with blood traitors and mudbloods. Revolting!" the boy sneered.

Draco's face hardened and he turned pale for a moment, but then he squared his shoulders and looked at the boy as if he were dung stuck to one of his boots. "Revolting? Is that your name? How unfortunate. While I appreciate you congratulating me on my choice of friends, we _were_ in the middle of a private conversation. Pray excuse us, Revolting." Draco turned his back on the other boy and began saying something to Hermione and Padma about the riffraff they were letting into Hogwarts these days. Harry watched as the other boy turned red with rage and put his hands out to shove Draco. He quickly cast a shield charm, and the boy was knocked back on his behind.

Still sitting, the boy pulled his wand out, but then McGonagall reentered the room and everyone went silent. She regarded the pinched-faced boy with a stern glare, and he quickly stowed his wand. "Follow me, please," she said as she led them through the Entrance Hall and into the Great Hall. Harry glanced back over his shoulder and saw two other boys helping Draco's would-be attacker to his feet, then he hurried to catch up to the others.

The Great Hall was filled with students sitting at the long house tables. Harry had hoped that the Sorting wouldn't be such a public business, but he supposed he should have realized that the tradition wouldn't have changed since Sirius was at school. He noticed that the other first years were looking up, and he looked up as well to see floating candles and what looked like the night's sky. There were a few patchy clouds, but mostly the sky was clear and brilliant with thousands of stars.

"It's bewitched, you know," Hermione commented. "I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History._ "

McGonagall led them to the front of the hall, just below the raised dais where the other teachers sat. Harry almost waved to Uncle Sev, but then remembered that he was supposed to call him "Professor Snape" here at school and stopped himself just in time.

"Hey, look, Draco, there's your dad!" Ron said.

Draco shushed him and whispered something, to which Ron muttered an apology. The students stood silently as McGonagall fetched a three-legged stool and an old hat. She stood aside as the hat began to sing a song about its creation by Hogwarts founders. Finally, when the song was over, she called out the first name. "Abbott, Hannah."

A rather pudgy little girl with light brown hair went to sit on the stool, and McGonagall put the hat on her head. "Hufflepuff!" the hat cried out, and Hannah went to sit at the Hufflepuff table. Lavender was next, and she was sorted into Gryffindor. Harry could feel his stomach twisting into knots. He tried to pay attention to the Sorting, but his head seemed too full of anxious thoughts. Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor, and Harry had to smile at the apparent glee on the girl's face. Neville was quickly sorted into Gryffindor as well. Harry perked up when Draco's name was called and noticed that the hat took a great deal more time with Draco's sorting. Draco whispered something to the hat and seemed to get a response. He whispered something else. It seemed to Harry as if he and the hat were having somewhat of an argument. Finally, the hat called out "All right, then! Slytherin!"

A few minutes later, it was Harry's turn. He sat on the stool, and as the hat was placed on his head, he had a fleeting thought that it might be good if he were sorted into Slytherin, too, so that he could keep Draco company. _I think you might be better suited to Hufflepuff,_ the hat seemed to reply inside Harry's mind.

"Not Hufflepuff!" Harry whispered. "None of my friends are in Hufflepuff! Everyone in my family's been in Gryffindor!"

The hat grumbled something about upstart students arguing with him and then finally shouted out, "Gryffindor!"

Harry sighed with relief, placed the hat back on the stool, and went to join the Gryffindor table. Percy shook his hand and Fred and George slapped him on the back as he went to sit next to Neville and Hermione. He overheard her whispering to Neville, "What did that boy mean when he said he never thought he'd see the day a Malfoy would consort with mudbloods and blood traitors? Those terms weren't mentioned in any of my textbooks."

Neville looked down at the table. "Don't worry about it," he said quietly. "A m-, well, I don't like to say the word, but it's a nasty word for someone who has muggle parents, and blood traitor is a term that pure blood supremacists use for someone who doesn't hold with pure wizard supremacy. Whoever that kid was, he's not worth our time."

Hermione looked aghast. "How awful! I can't believe I was insulted by someone who doesn't even know me!"

"Draco did a good job shutting him down, though!" Harry said.

Hermione looked worried. "He did, yes, but, Harry…they're in the same house. I heard the boy's name during his sorting. He—Theodore Nott— he was sorted into Slytherin! Draco will have to share a dormitory with that horrible boy!"

Harry felt a sinking in his stomach, and he looked over at the Slytherin table. Draco sat stiffly beside a tall girl who looked much older than them. He tried to catch Draco's eye, but the other boy seemed absorbed in the Sorting. "Don't worry about Draco, Hermione. He can take care of himself. Didn't you see him flippendo Ron into the lake after he laughed at him?"

She giggled. "No, I actually _didn't_ see him do it! That's what made it so impressive!"

"And Ron's one of Draco's best mates," Neville interjected. "Imagine what he'll do to retaliate against someone who gets on his bad side."

Hermione tilted her head as she considered this. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

"Weasley, Ronald!" McGonagall called out, and Ron went to sit on the stool. The hat had barely touched his head when it called out "Gryffindor!" and Ron bounded toward their table. Percy clapped his brother on the shoulder and shook his hand. Fred and George reached out their hands and ruffled his hair as he passed by. Ron shook them off and sat down between Harry and Hermione.

The last boy, "Zabini, Blaise", was sorted into Slytherin, and he went to sit beside Draco. Despite his confident words to Hermione, Harry was relieved when the two shook hands cordially and began to talk.

Their conversation was interrupted, though, when Professor Dumbledore approached the podium. He welcomed them all, said a few very strange words, and then announced that the feast was to begin. The golden platters filled with all kinds of delicious foods. There was sliced turkey and ham, roasted chicken legs, stuffing, several bowls of potatoes done different ways, and ten different vegetable dishes. Harry realized how hungry he was and heaped his plate full.

There was little noise in the room other than the sound of knives and forks on plates for a bit, but then it filled with chatter. Harry realized that Dean Thomas, whom he had met at his birthday party, was seated across from him. "Hey, Dean! I'm glad you're in Gryffindor! How're you doing?"

"Hiya, Harry!" Dean said. "I'm all right! This place is amazing!"

He introduced himself to the boy sitting next to Dean. "I'm Seamus Finnegan," the boy said. "Are you James and Lily Potter's son?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "How do you know about my mum and dad?"

"Are you joking?" Seamus asked. "They're famous! They're the ones who stopped You-Know-Who."

Harry frowned. "Who?"

"Are you honestly saying you don't know who You-Know-Who is?" Lavender asked.

Harry exchanged a glance with Neville, who seemed to be as bewildered as he was. "How would I know who he was when none of you will even say his name?"

Seamus started to respond, but then the pudding appeared and everyone began helping their plates again. Harry got a bit of treacle tart, which was his favorite, but he didn't much feel like eating it. He didn't like this feeling of not knowing something about his own parents that everyone else seemed to know, and he felt angry with Sirius for keeping him in the dark.

Dinner ended, and Professor Dumbledore gave a speech during which he introduced the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor (a rather pale, nervous looking man wearing a turban, of all things), forbade them from going into the Forbidden Forest ("a bit redundant, eh?" said Ron), and ticked off a list of banned items. Harry wasn't really listening, though. He just couldn't believe Sirius would send him off to school not knowing about his parents being famous, not to mention not knowing who You-Know-Who was. He figured that he must be the dark wizard who'd killed his parents, but he'd still like to know his name.

Hermione tapped his shoulder, and Harry looked up to see that everyone else was getting up and leaving the Great Hall. "Don't worry, Harry," Hermione said as he got up from the table. "We'll go to the library tomorrow during a break. I'm sure it will have backlogs of newspapers, and if your parents are famous, they're bound to be in them."

"Thanks, Hermione. That's a good idea."

"Don't mention it," she said.


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Draco, Blaise, and Padma came over to the Gryffindor table to have breakfast with them. Draco introduced Blaise to the others and helped himself to some eggs and toast. "Pleased to meet you," said Harry. "But what are you doing here? I thought Sirius had said we had to sit with our own houses?"

"Weren't you listening to Professor Dumbledore last night, Harry?" Hermione asked. "He specifically encouraged us to mingle with other houses except for certain occasions, such as the welcoming feast."

"Oh, I guess I missed that," Harry said. "Well, great, then! That's brilliant!"

They received their schedules after breakfast, and Harry was pleased to see that their first class was Potions with the Slytherins. Padma seemed a bit disappointed but brightened when Neville said, "See you later in Herbology!"

"Oh, yes!" she replied. "See you then!"

When they arrived at the Potions classroom, they saw that each table only seated four students. The six of them stood there for a moment until Draco said, "You four grab that one. Blaise and I will take the table next to you."

"All right," Ron said, and he, Neville, Harry, and Hermione took the seats that Draco had indicated.

They were talking about the kinds of potions they'd probably be making that year when Nott came in, flanked by the two hulking boys who had helped him up the night before. He leaned toward Draco and growled something at him.

"That's quite all right, Revolting. I didn't really fancy sitting with you, anyway," Draco said in an overly friendly voice. "I've just had breakfast, you see."

Professor Snape had just entered the room and frowned at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, come here please."

"Certainly, sir." Draco rose and went over to his stepfather, who said something to Draco in a low voice. Draco replied in a loud, clear voice so that everyone in the now full classroom could hear. "That's his name, sir. Revolting introduced himself to me yesterday while congratulating me on my choice of friends. And then this morning, he told me his full name when he so very kindly awakened me so I wouldn't be late for breakfast. He said his name was Nott. Nott Revolting."

Harry could've sworn he saw a hint of a smile play at the corners of Unc—Professor Snape's mouth, but then the potions master shook his head and cleared his throat. "His name is Theodore Nott, Mr. Malfoy, so please address him as such. That will be all."

The entire class, with the exception of Nott and his lackeys, was giggling a little at this point, but Harry, Neville, and Ron were practically falling out of their chairs due to laughing so hard. Professor Snape glared at them. "Weasley, Potter, Longbottom, do not force me to take points from Gryffindor this early in the morning!"

They stifled their laughter enough to reply, "Yes, sir."

"Now, then," Professor Snape began, "I have prepared a few samples to show you the kind of potions you should all be able to make by the end of the year. Form a single-file line and inspect each potion as you walk past my desk. Feel free to inhale the vapors of these potions. None of them are toxic, but that is not always the case, so unless I specifically tell you they are safe, do not inhale the fumes of unknown potions. No talking as you inspect the potions! I want to see what you have learned from your textbooks thus far."

The students all walked past the potions, observing and sniffing each of the four potions on Professor Snape's desk. As Harry hadn't read much of his Potions book, he had no clue what any of them might be, but a glance over at Hermione told him that she, at least, had done her homework.

When all of the students were seated again, Professor Snape asked if any of them knew what the first potion was. Hermione's hand shot into the air. "Yes, Miss—?" the professor asked.

"Granger, sir. Hermione Granger. I'm fairly certain it's a Wakefulness Draught. It's particularly helpful when one needs an extra hour to stay awake and alert, and at the end of that hour the effects expire and one is able to achieve a state of restful sleep."

"Very good, Miss Granger, although I do prefer students to paraphrase in their own words rather than quoting directly from the textbook. Five points to Gryffindor."

Hermione beamed as Harry patted her on the back and Neville whispered, "Well done!"

Professor Snape indicated the next potion, and before he could even ask if anyone knew what it was, Hermione and Draco both had their hands in the air. "Mr. Malfoy," Professor Snape said.

"It's a Basic Healing Potion. It can cure simple injuries, such as scrapes, shallow cuts, and bruises. If no other method of healing is available, it can provide some relief for more serious wounds, such as broken bones, but it won't cure them." Draco tried not to grimace as he remembered sneaking a bit of the potion when he'd broken his arm playing Quidditch. His dad had been teaching that day, and he'd wanted to heal the injury himself without telling his mother. The potion had eased the pain, but hadn't been at all effective at mending the broken bone. His mother had been none too pleased that he'd tried to conceal the injury from her.

"Very good, Mr. Malfoy. Five points to Slytherin." Professor Snape smirked and moved to stand behind the third potion. "How about this one?"

To Harry's surprise, Neville's hand was the first in the air. "I think it's a sleeping potion of some sort, because I can smell Valerian root, but it isn't a Draught of Dreamless Sleep. It's pale lilac, rather than purple, which leads me to believe that it isn't as strong."

"Well-reasoned, Mr. Longbottom! This potion is called a Simple Sleep Draught. It is, as you surmised, less potent than a Draught of Dreamless Sleep, and, while it promotes sleep, it doesn't prevent dreams. This potion is one of my own concoctions, and it isn't in your current textbook, although I do plan to include it in the next edition. Ten points to Gryffindor!"

Blaise whipped out his textbook and studied the cover. "You wrote the textbook, sir?"

A modest smile twitched at Professor Snape's lips. "Yes, Mr—?"

"Zabini, sir! Wow, that's brilliant!"

"Thank you, Mr. Zabini. Any idea what the last potion is?"

Blaise shrugged. "Does it have something to do with balance? I'm not sure, sir, I've not studied my text as thoroughly as I should have."

"That's quite all right, Mr. Zabini. You're on the right track. Can anyone help him out?"

Hermione raised her hand again, and Professor Snape nodded to her. "It's a Stabilizing Solution, sir. It's different from other potions in that it isn't meant to be drunk, but rather poured over a broom or other method of flight for added stability. It's particularly helpful for those who are new to flying."

"Well said, Miss Granger, and you even said it in your own words this time. Take another five points to Gryffindor. And five points to Slytherin for your efforts, Mr. Zabini."

When Professor Snape dismissed the class, the students all began chatting excitedly about the potions they'd seen and would hope to make that year. "Your dad's a great teacher, Draco!" Ron said.

"Professor Snape's your dad?" Blaise asked. "But your name's Malfoy."

"Technically, he's my stepfather," Draco explained. "But he married my mother when I was four years old, and he's the only father I've ever known."

"Wow, I've had five stepfathers, but none of them have been nearly as cool as your dad!" Blaise said. "I can't believe he wrote the textbook! That's really impressive!"

Draco seemed to stand a little taller. "It's recently been adopted at Beauxbatons and Ilvermorny as well."

"Wow!" Blaise said again.

The Gryffindors had Herbology next, and the Slytherins had Charms, so they said their goodbyes and hurried on to their next classes. Professor Sprout asked each student his or her name as the students filed into the greenhouse, and she greeted them all kindly. She spoke for a while about the kind of plants they would be learning about that year, and then she gave them a quiz.

In response to the panicked expressions on many of the students' faces, Professor Sprout reassured them, "Don't be alarmed! It's merely a pretest to gauge your knowledge of my subject area. Please do your best, as I want to have an accurate picture of what you already know, but don't be worried if there are questions you don't know. I will not be putting this assignment in the grade book."

Harry surprised himself by knowing at least half of the answers and having a good idea about a quarter or so of the rest. He glanced over at Neville, who had an air of confidence as his quill scratched on the parchment. He finished writing a few moments later and looked up at Professor Sprout, who winked at him and gave him a wide smile.

Five minutes later, the rest of the class had finished as well. Professor Sprout summoned the papers and began looking them over. "Not bad," she said. "Not bad at all! Oh, excellent, Mr. Longbottom! Very good, Miss Granger! Nice work, Miss Padma Patil!" She looked up from the quizzes. "Overall, I'd say this class has a better than average pool of knowledge regarding Herbology. I'm very pleased. Why don't we end class a bit early today as a reward for your diligence on my little quiz? Just this once, mind you! Have a good day, everyone!"

"What a sweet woman!" Hermione remarked to Padma.

"Yes, I like her a lot!" Padma said.

"What class did you have this morning?" Harry asked.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Padma's voice sounded unenthusiastic.

"That bad, huh?" asked Ron.

"It was awful! I'd been so excited to begin learning defensive spells, but Professor Quirrel's not a very good teacher. I'm sure he can't help it, so I hate to criticize, but he stammers and stutters so much that it's difficult to pay attention to him. And, mostly, he just read the first chapter of the textbook aloud, anyway."

"That's really disappointing," Neville said. "We'd be better off learning that subject at home. My dad's an auror, and my mum and Gram used to be."

"Oh, wow! That must be very exciting!" Padma replied.

Hermione tugged at Harry's sleeve. "Do you want to use this time to go look for newspapers in the library?"

"Oh, yeah. Great!" Harry said. "Nev, Ron, you coming?"

They both nodded, and Padma asked if she could tag along too, as she hadn't yet had the chance to visit the library. They spent over ten minutes looking for it ("Why do the staircases have to move?" Ron asked) but once they found it, the newspapers were easy to locate.

"Do you know when it happened, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Uh, yeah. October 31, 1981." He felt a twinge in his stomach. Suddenly, he wasn't sure if he was ready to read about his parents' death. Maybe Sirius had been right.

But then Hermione was saying, "I've found their obituary, Harry. It was written by your godfather. Oh, how sad!"

Harry scanned the page for the dark wizard's name, but _The Daily Prophet_ hadn't printed it. Where Sirius had written the name of the wizard, they had blacked out all but a capital V. He handed the paper back to Hermione and began scanning through the old newspapers until Neville nudged him.

"I found an article about the night they died," Neville said. "Shall we sit down and look at it?"

Harry nodded, and he, Neville, and Hermione found a table that was partially hidden in a small alcove and sat down together. "Where's Ron?" Harry asked.

"He and Padma went to look around, I think," Hermione answered.

"Oh, all right," Harry said.

Neville seemed to sense Harry's mixed feelings about reading the article. "We don't have to read it now, Harry," he said. "We can just put it back and go have lunch. We could come read it some other time."

Harry thought about it for a moment, then looked down at the article, which was titled "Celebration and Heartbreak" and had a picture of a house with a large hole in the second story. _My first home,_ Harry realized. "No, let's read it. We've come this far."

 ** _Celebration and Heartbreak_**

 ** _by Jeremy Goshawk_**

 ** _November 5, 1981_**

 ** _Seldom has the wizarding community of Britain experienced such a simultaneous state of celebration and heartbreak. While the vast majority of us are overjoyed at the apparent demise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, this is also a time of deepest sorrow—sorrow, not just for the two members of our community who defeated the dark wizard who has terrorized our world for well over a decade, but also sorrow for all of those who lost their lives during this reign of terror. James and Lily Potter will be remembered as heroes, and the wizarding world will undoubtedly reap the benefits, but what of the loss? What of those left behind, such as the Potters' young son, Harry, or the countless other sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends of the witches, wizards, and muggles who died at the hand of the wizard who styled himself as Lord V—?_**

Harry stopped reading and looked up. He felt like he was going to be sick. He ran a hand through his messy black hair and swallowed against the vile taste he had in his mouth. He glanced over at Neville, who had continued to read the article, and at Hermione, who had finished reading his parents' obituary and sat in silence. She caught him looking at her and gave him a kind smile.

Neville turned the page to where the story was continued and finished the article. "Blimey," he said. "I had no idea. They never told us how it was, never told us people were dying left and right. No wonder your parents are famous, Harry. They're heroes."

"Yeah," Harry said blankly. "Did the article give any information about how they defeated him? Or about how I got my scar?"

"Scar?" Hermione asked.

Harry pulled back his fringe so that the lightning-shaped scar was visible, and she gasped. "What caused that?" she asked.

"No idea," Harry said. "It's one of the things I want to know. Did it say, Nev?"

"No. It went on to talk about your parents some more, about how they were Head Boy and Girl at Hogwarts, and how the world had been robbed of their bright futures. It talked about some of the other people who died fighting him as well."

"Do you want to look for other articles, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"No," he told her. "The rest of you should go have some lunch. We have more classes this afternoon."

"What about you, Harry? Aren't you coming to lunch?" Neville's brow furrowed with concern.

Harry tried to force a smile. "I'm not particularly hungry just now. I think I might just take a short walk."

"I could come with you, if you want, Harry," Neville offered. "You wouldn't have to talk, if you don't want to."

"That's okay, Nev. I think I need to be alone for a bit. Thanks, though. I'll see you later." Before they could say anything else, Harry got up and walked out of the library. For several minutes, he wasn't aware of his surroundings, but then he found himself standing outside, his eyes squinting in the sudden sunlight. He continued out onto the grounds, not really walking in any particular direction, but just sort of wandering. If someone had asked him what he was thinking about, he could have answered with perfect honesty that he did not know. He felt dazed and overwhelmed, which caught him as strange since he hadn't really learned much new information. Somehow, reading about his parents' deaths in a newspaper made it so much more real. Suddenly, he felt weak all over, so he allowed himself to sink to the ground. He lay there on his back with his eyes closed, not moving, not thinking, just breathing.

"Harry?" a loud voice called out to him. "Harry, is that you, there?"

Harry sat up and looked into Hagrid's concerned face. "Oh, hullo, Hagrid."

"What're yeh doin' out here? Shouldn't yeh be eatin' lunch with yer friends?"

"I just needed a bit of air." Harry tried to sound casual.

"You all righ'? Not ill, are yeh? Er homesick, maybe?" Hagrid's great, bushy eyebrows drew together in a frown as he tried to suss out what was wrong.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Harry suddenly yelled as he jumped to his feet and hot, angry tears sprang to his eyes. "Why didn't anyone tell me how bad it got before my parents stopped that dark wizard? Why won't anyone say his name? Why? Why? Why, Hagrid? Why did they die? Why am I still alive when they're dead?"

Tears of sadness and rage fell down Harry's cheeks, and Hagrid shook his great, shaggy head with a bewildered expression. Clearly, Harry's questions were much more than Hagrid had expected. The enormous man bent down and enveloped Harry in a surprisingly gentle hug. "It's hard ter explain somethin' yer don't understan' yerself."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Sirius sat cross-legged and hovered a few inches above the floor. He'd initially intended this exercise to be a joke when he showed it to Dumbledore, but the older wizard had been impressed and told him it was ideal for the type of magic that he planned on teaching him. Dumbledore had warned him that his magical instruction would be grueling, and it definitely had been. It wasn't the physical exhaustion that did Sirius in, but the absolute mental stress, so much so that sometimes Sirius was certain his brain was sweating inside his skull.

Dumbledore had instructed him in what he referred to as instinctive magic—no spells, no charms, but rather allowing magic to course through oneself and manifest in whatever way seemed appropriate to the situation. Dumbledore had warned him that it was not only incredibly dangerous and could result in him literally losing his mind, but also that this particular type of magic was not strictly ministry-approved. Sirius hadn't particularly cared about the legality issue, and he was more than willing to take whatever risk to himself if mastering this type of magic meant that he would be more able to keep Harry safe.

Practicing instinctive magic required more intense concentration and mental agility than Sirius would have believed himself capable of, and this hovering exercise helped him keep himself sharp. While hovering, he walled off part of his mind and completely cleared it of all thought while the remainder of his mental faculties kept himself afloat, so to speak. Additionally, he would perform a physical exercise, such as juggling or bouncing a ball against a wall and catching it.

On this particular afternoon, Sirius found it difficult to clear his mind because of the extremely curt letter he'd received from his godson. He finally gave it up as a bad job and lowered himself to the floor. He picked up the letter and reread it.

"Sirius and Cat," it began starkly, "I'm in Gryffindor, and so are Ron and Neville. Draco's in Slytherin. I'm going to bed now. Harry."

The brevity of this note seemed almost rude considering Harry's usual nature, which was normally very open and sweet. Sirius hoped that Cat was right in her assertion that Harry had probably just been very tired and that he would write in more detail once he'd settled into a routine at Hogwarts. He couldn't help but worry, though, and he'd just decided to pay Severus a visit to see if he had any insight when there was a knock at his door.

"Frank's back," Augusta told him when he opened the door. "We need to meet. He wants to get the entire Order together. I don't know if I've ever seen him this angry before."

"What's going on?" Sirius asked.

"I couldn't get much out of him, but he called Fudge a blustering, blundering, buffoon and said he was going to get us all killed. He also used several choice words that I'm not going to repeat."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "That bad, huh? Where are we meeting?"

"Here, in the ball room. Alice and I have sent owls to the other Order members asking them to arrive in two hours if they're able. Classes will be done for the day by then, so Hogwarts should be able to spare a few of its professors for an hour or two."

Sirius nodded and scratched his chin. He should really shave before the meeting. "It'll be kind of strange having all of us there at the meeting, won't it?" For the past ten years, they'd traded off kid duty during Order meetings.

Augusta smiled knowingly. "I miss them, too," she said. "I hope they're having a good time at Hogwarts. Did you get a letter from Harry yet?"

Sirius passed her the note. "If you can call it that."

Augusta read it. "That's not much to go on! Neville's was nearly two pages. He described the Great Hall as if we'd never seen it before! He seems so proud to be in Gryffindor!"

"That's great. I'm glad for him. For both of them."

Augusta had been standing in the doorway, but now she entered the room and sat in an armchair near the window. "I think Harry's a bit put out with you."

Sirius frowned. "What makes you say that?"

She sighed. "You treated him like a child when you refused to tell him about the night Lily and James died."

Sirius blinked at her. "He _is_ a child."

"Of course he is," Augusta said in a soothing tone. "But, think back to when you were 11, going off to Hogwarts. Did you feel like a child?"

Memories flooded Sirius' brain. _Getting his wand, boarding the Hogwarts express, the feeling of freedom, like adulthood was just round the corner_. A dreamy smile upon his face, he shook his head.

He thought about how he would have felt if his parents had told him he was too young for information. Not that they would have. They'd tried to educate him in dark magic and tales of muggle subjugation practically from birth. He didn't want Harry to grow up too fast, but rather to protect his innocence as long as he possibly could. Suddenly, he felt a wave of anger. "So what do you propose I tell him—that Voldemort was targeting him, and Lily and James died protecting him? That he's a horcrux? Or how about the fact that he's been prophesied to be the person who will kill Voldemort?" His voice had risen, and, although, he wasn't exactly shouting, his tone was hardly conversational.

"Of course not!" Augusta protested. "But the story you've been repeating is a bit simplistic. Harry's old enough to hear about his parents' bravery, the fact that they defied Voldemort, and even that his mother's love cast a shield around him that protected him from the killing curse."

Mulling over what she'd said, he sank down onto his bed and laid back. He felt a lump in his throat and hot tears in his eyes. Even after all this time, he felt a queasy sense of guilt threaten to overtake him. _If only he'd been secret-keeper. If only he hadn't suggested Peter."_

"Sirius," Augusta said. "It's not your fault. It's not your fault Lily and James are dead."

He rolled over onto his stomach and sobbed into his pillow. A moment later, he felt her sit down on the bed next to him and begin to rub circles on his back. She whispered words of comfort and reassured him that he was a wonderful parent to Harry, that Lily and James would be proud of him and so happy with how well he'd taught Harry over the years.

As Sirius sat up and hugged her, he realized what an important figure Augusta had become to him. She'd mothered him for longer than James' mom had, and every bit as well, not to mention far better and longer than his own mother. "Thanks," he said sheepishly. "You must think me an idiot for blubbering on this way."

"Of course not." She looked into his eyes with the kindest expression. "You've been through a lot, and you hardly gave yourself time to grieve. It's only natural to miss Lily and James."

"When Harry comes home for Christmas, will you help me talk to him?"

"I doubt you'll need my help, but if you do, then gladly." They were sitting side by side, and she had her arm around him. She gave his shoulder a squeeze before getting up and walking to the doorway. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Augusta," he said, and she turned back to look at him again. He felt a catch in his throat, and he swallowed. "Thanks. I don't think I could have made it through these years without you, Frank, and Alice."

She smiled at him. "It really is our pleasure, you know."

A few hours later, Sirius was showered, shaved, and composed as he swaggered into to ballroom for the Order meeting. There were a few people already there, and Sirius greeted them. Over the years, the Order had grown quite a lot, and it could count several hundred members at this point. They were rarely all ever able to meet at the same time, but the members who were present for meetings kept the absent members abreast of happenings and decisions. With this meeting being called so abruptly, Sirius doubted that attendance would amount to much.

Arthur and Molly Weasley were sitting in a corner arguing with Kingsley, and Sirius made his way over to them. "Fudge bungled the meeting, no doubt, yes, but the rumor is that Frank just quit," Arthur said. "Tell me it's not true!"

Kingsley shook his head. "It's true, all right. He handed in his resignation immediately after Fudge ended the meeting with Belenko, although he did stay to escort Fudge back to our ministry."

Sirius was just considering what he'd heard when another conversation caught his attention. Bill Weasley, the youngest Order member, was looking at the front page of _The Evening Prophet_ with Andromeda and Ted Tonks. "The _Prophet's_ got to be exaggerating," he overheard Ted saying. "Even Fudge isn't that stupid."

Sirius asked to see the paper, and Bill handed it over. The headline read, "Minister Fudge Insults Ukrainian Minister of Magic". Sirius skimmed the article quickly to glean the important information, which was basically that Fudge had offered help to the Ukrainian Minister Belenko in such a way that the man couldn't possibly accept it—namely, that he had implied that the Ukrainian aurors didn't have the strength to arrest Dolohov on their own, and that British aurors would get the job done if permitted. Sirius groaned.

Frank entered the room a few minutes later to a barrage of questions. He held up his hands for silence. "Thanks for coming, everyone. Especially on such short notice. Since I called the meeting, I'd like to open it up by telling you the reason why, and then if anyone else has news or suggestions, you can speak as well. Is that all right?"

There was a general nodding and murmuring of assent. "As some of you already know, Dolohov is in the Ukraine and he most likely has the Philosopher's Stone. He's the number one suspect in the murders of Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, and he's a British citizen. I went with Minister Fudge to meet with the Ukrainian Minister of Magic Belenko to work out terms in which British aurors could work with Ukrainian aurors to capture Dolohov and bring him back to Britain for trial and eventual incarceration in Azkaban." Frank paused and took a deep breath. "At least, that is what I thought we were doing. After initial pleasantries were exchanged, Fudge said, and I quote, 'If your aurors aren't up to the task of catching Dolohov, I could be persuaded to bring in British aurors to do the job.' Naturally, Belenko was insulted, and he said something about Dolohov being a British citizen, to which Fudge emphasized his Ukrainian heritage in a manner that suggested that his having Ukrainian parentage was somehow responsible for his murderous actions." There was a collective intake of breath at the rudeness of their minister. Frank cocked his head to the side and nodded. "Fudge then said again that if he felt his aurors lacked the strength—that's how he put it!—lacked the strength to bring Dolohov in, then British aurors would be willing to help."

Frank took a sip of water. "Of course, there was no way for Belenko to accept our help after such an insult. He invited Fudge to leave his country as quickly as possible and told him when they caught Dolohov, they would deal with him on their own and not to expect him to be extradited to Britain."

"Before we left, I tried to reason with Fudge. I tried to get him to apologize and ask Belenko's permission for our aurors to work with them, but he wouldn't hear me. He told me that Dolohov was their problem, not ours, and I should tow the party line or find another job." Frank shook his head slowly from side to side. "So I quit. I told him I'd see him back to the ministry, clear out my desk, and be done. He didn't even try to talk me out of it."

Frank sighed. "I don't think I have to remind any of you of the danger that someone like Dolohov poses, especially if he does have the Philosopher's Stone. Which is why I'm going to the Wizengamot to propose a vote of no confidence in Fudge. He has to be removed."


	22. Chapter 22

For the next several days, Harry wandered around in a haze. He went to classes, ate his meals, and slept. He hardly spoke to anyone, and only answered in monosyllables when others spoke to him. He got a letter from Sirius apologizing for not telling him more about the night his parents died before sending him off to school and promising to talk about it when he came home for Christmas, but Harry barely registered it. At first, his friends tried to snap him out of it with jokes, suggestions of pranks or games of chess, and requests for help with homework assignments. When Harry failed to respond positively to any of this, they fell to whispering about him in worried tones.

"Flying lessons tomorrow!" Hermione cried out when she saw the notice tacked to the board in the common room.

Neville laughed. "We've been flying practically since before we could walk!"

"Ah, I can't wait to see what Draco says about this!" Ron chortled. "He'll think it an outrage."

Hermione looked over at Dean, who appeared as terrified as she was. "I've never flown before," she confessed. "I'm afraid of heights."

"I've never flown either, but I'm sure it will be fine." Dean sounded as though he was trying to convince himself as much as anything.

"Won't it be dangerous for Harry to fly in his current state?" Hermione asked. "He's practically comatose."

"I'll be fine, Hermione." Harry's reply was his longest utterance in three days. Hermione looked around to the others, who shrugged and nodded.

At breakfast that morning, Draco was indeed expressing outrage at having to take flying lessons. "It'd be like taking lessons in dressing oneself! It's absolutely ridiculous! I'm going to have a talk with Dad and see if I can get out of it." Ignoring Ron's sniggering, he finished breakfast quickly and started to rise.

Hermione stood up also and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Do you think you could also speak to him about Harry? I'm worried about him."

Draco nodded and smiled at her. "Certainly. See you later." He strode off in the direction of the potions classroom.

The Gryffindors had Transfiguration lessons first period that morning, in which they were attempting to turn a match into a needle. Professor McGonagall awarded Gryffindor five points when Hermione was the first to successfully transfigure her match. A few others had managed the task by the end of class as well, but Harry had barely tried.

The bell rang, and the class began to file out. "Mr. Potter!" the professor called out. "Stay behind a moment."

Neville lagged behind with Harry until Professor McGonagall instructed him to hurry along. She turned her piercing gaze upon Harry. "Mr. Potter, I thought I made myself clear when I emphasized the importance of absolute focus in my class. Although this exercise poses no threat, we will soon move on to more difficult and dangerous tasks."

"Yes, Professor."

Her expression softened a little, and she put a hand on his shoulder. "Is something troubling you?"

Harry shook his head and attempted to blink back the tears that had sprung to his eyes and given the lie to his negation. "I'm fine," he choked out.

"I dislike arguing with students, Harry, but it's plain to me that you are not fine. Has someone been unkind to you?"

Harry shook his head. Students for Professor McGonagall's next class began filing into the room, so she ushered him into her adjoining office. "I would very much like for you to tell me what is bothering you, Harry," she said.

"You have class."

She opened the door of her office and waved her wand at the blackboard. "There. I've given instructions which will keep them busy for the next fifteen minutes at least. Your next class is History of Magic, I believe?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, then, you can get the notes from Ms. Granger, and you'll hardly have missed a thing."

Harry had known Minerva McGonagall all his life, and he recognized the spark in her eye which indicated a level of determination that he wasn't prepared to fight against. He sighed. "It's-it's my parents. I'd always known they died fighting off a dark wizard, but that's all Sirius ever told me. I started asking questions this summer, and he wouldn't tell me anything more. Then, when I got here, it seemed like everyone knew more about it than me, and I was angry. Hermione suggested we go to the library and find out more, but when we did, it just…" He was crying now, and he couldn't continue.

She pulled him into a tight hug. "You're grieving, Harry. It's perfectly natural. You were so young when your parents died that you didn't understand enough to grieve. Now that you're older and finding out more about their deaths, you feel the pain of it."

"But I don't even remember them," he said softly. "How can I grieve for people I never even knew?"

"They were your parents. It's quite normal that you would feel the loss of them."

"But I have so many people who love me and take care of me."

She smiled. "Of course you do, and missing your parents doesn't mean that you don't love and appreciate your godfather or any of the other people in your life. It's all right for you to feel the loss. It's all right for you to grieve for them."

Harry nodded. Tears streamed down his face, but the pain was much more bearable now that he was allowing himself to feel it. It helped to have a name for the pain, too, and he felt a rush of gratitude toward Professor McGonagall. He looked up at her and smiled through his tears. "Thank you."

Harry felt a bit sheepish about being around his friends again, but no one commented other than Ron exclaiming "Glad to have you back!" followed by what he was sure was Hermione's elbow to his ribs judging from the loud "oof, what was that for?" from Ron. Hermione promptly told him to shut up.

Harry got a note from Uncle Sev that afternoon before dinner instructing him to come to his office immediately. He asked Neville to save him a seat at dinner and obediently trudged to talk to his family friend.

"Your friends are worried about you," Uncle Sev informed him without preamble when he sat down opposite the older wizard.

"I'm all right. Professor McGonagall got to me earlier."

"What had you out of sorts?" Uncle Sev asked.

"Didn't Draco tell you?"

"I'd like to hear it from you, if you please."

Harry told him the whole story—his feelings at Ollivander's, his questioning of Sirius, Seamus knowing more about his parents than he did, the research at the library, and even his conversation with Hagrid and Professor McGonagall. Uncle Sev's expression remained neutral through all of this, but Harry felt sure that he was giving him his full attention. "So I feel…a bit better now. I'll just wait to talk about it with Sirius, and just…get on with things."

"Will you?" Uncle Sev stretched out the two words so that their utterance took an inordinate amount of time.

Harry thought about it for a moment. "Well, no, actually. I guess not. I'll probably keep doing research. Do you think that's disloyal of me?"

"Disloyal to whom?"

"To Sirius. I mean, he's promised to talk to me about it, so maybe I should just wait. Be patient."

"It doesn't really matter whether I think it disloyal or not. What matters is what you think. Over the next several years, you embark on the journey of becoming a separate person from your family and friends. Their, or dare I say, our opinions and values have shaped you, but ultimately your choices are your own. Your life is your own."

"I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. I'm only eleven."

Uncle Sev smiled. "Think about it for a while, and decide on your own. By the way, have you continued to practice the spells that you learned over the summer?"

This question struck Harry as being oddly placed. He wondered what that had to do with anything. He shook his head.

"From what I gather of Professor Quirrell's teaching, you're unlikely to learn any defensive spells from him. So if you want to accomplish anything in the area of Defense Against the Dark Arts, I would recommend practice. You might want to ruminate about it on the seventh floor in front of the picture of Barnabas the Barmy."

"What?" The oddity of Uncle Sev's suggestion prevented Harry from being able to formulate a coherent question.

Smirking slightly, Uncle Sev didn't answer his unspoken questions. "As with many other things, I suggest you figure it out for yourself. And, Harry, although I am no expert on emotional matters, I am here for you if you need to talk."

Harry registered the dismissal in Uncle Sev's tone, but a thought occurred to him. "Do we have to take flying lessons?"

Uncle Sev laughed. "Ask Draco."

At dinner, Draco explained that they were unable to get out of flying lessons altogether, but they were a bit mollified when he told them that they would not have to continue taking them after they qualified. So the next day, they all gathered in the yard next to the old, battered school brooms that Madam Hooch had set out for them. Harry saw Neville and Draco's disgusted expressions as they followed instructions and mounted the dilapidated brooms and felt sure that they, like he, were wishing for their own brooms that they'd been forced to leave behind.

After half an hour, he, Ron, Draco, and Neville had passed the basic flight qualification test, and they waved their other friends good-bye. Hermione was clutching her broom with white-knuckled determination, but so far she hadn't had the courage to fly more than a foot from the ground. Padma and Pavarti, who'd been prevented from learning to ride a broom previously due to their parents' admonishments that it wasn't lady-like, were faring better. Harry reckoned they'd qualify by the second or third week of lessons. Dean surprised everyone, including himself, by easily learning basic flying skills, progressing from hovering to low-altitude flight on the first attempt. His turning skills were also coming along nicely, but he still needed a great deal of work on braking and landing.

Harry took advantage of the free time to write a nice long letter home. He told Sirius and Cat all about his classes, his new friends, flying lessons, and his anticipation at the upcoming Quidditch tryouts. He confessed to Sirius that he had been angry about having less information about his parents' death than many of his classmates, but that he understood that Sirius was just trying to protect him and that he currently had no hard feelings. He considered recounting the conversations he'd had with Professor McGonagall and Uncle Sev, but in the end, he decided not to share them.

After careful consideration, he decided that continuing to research the dark wizard and his parents' death would not be an act of disloyalty to Sirius. Instead, he found he felt it was something he had to do, to honor their memory. Maybe he'd tell Sirius about what he learned when he saw him, but maybe not. He'd make the choice when the time came. Hermione finally discovered the wizard's name, Voldemort, by simply asking Madam Pince, although the librarian had spoken the name in a whisper and admonished her to refer to him as You-Know-Who.

"I don't understand why this You-Know-Who person had such a problem with muggles and muggleborns," Hermione wondered aloud one day when they were reading in the library.

"Me neither, Hermione," Harry responded.

"Why don't you ask Draco?" sneered a nearby Gryffindor, who had apparently overheard their conversation. "His father's locked up in Azkaban for being a Death Eater, so I'm sure he could tell you all about it."

Draco, red-faced and shaking, said nothing. "That's a really mean thing to say," Hermione said. "And I don't recall inviting you into our conversation to begin with."

"Yeh, bugger off," Ron added.

The other student raised his eyebrows. "All right, then, but he's probably just cozying up to you lot so he can report back to his father's Death Eater friends."

Padma started to argue with the interloping Gryffindor, but Neville stopped her. "Please leave us alone," he told the other boy, looking him right in the eyes until he turned and walked away. After he was gone, Neville said, "Sorry for interrupting you, Padma, but it's pointless to argue with someone like that."

"That's all right," she said. "Are you okay, Draco?"

Draco cleared his throat. "Of course."

"Who was that?" Ron asked. "He's in our house, but I don't know him."

"I think his name's Cormac," Harry answered. "What a tosser."


	23. Chapter 23

"The youngest seeker in a century!" Sirius exclaimed jubilantly. "My godson!" He let out a loud whoop and held the letter up for the others to see, ignoring the fact that they couldn't obviously read it from across the table even if he weren't waving it around. He read more of the letter and frowned. "He doesn't say when the first match is. I need to know when the first match is. I'm going to floo over and ask Professor McGonagall straight away after breakfast. But he needs a better broom! I've got to convince Dumbledore to let him have his Nimbus! Oh, I know! I'll just buy more brooms and donate them to the Gryffindor team!"

"Sirius, that would cost a fortune!" Alice reminded him. She, Augusta, Frank, and Cat were all obviously excited for Harry as well, but their excitement was nothing compared to Sirius, who was now stuffing sausages into his mouth as he rose from the table.

"Who cares?" he managed to say through a mouthful of sausages. "It's not like I haven't got it! Anyone want to join me? I've got to get over to Quality Quidditch supplies right away! He needs a good broom for practice if Gryffindor's going to win the House Cup this year."

"Sirius, calm down," Cat told him. "You're going to choke on those sausages if you don't chew them."

"That's okay. You know that Hindrich Maneuver thing. I'll be fine." He folded a piece of toast, crammed it into his mouth, and danced around. "Who's coming with me?"

"Sirius, we've got a meeting with all those Order members to talk about my proposal to oust Fudge at two o'clock today," Frank reminded him.

"But this is more important!" Frank glared at him, so he amended his statement. "Okay, maybe not more important, but it's only half past ten. We've got time for a quick trip to Diagon Alley."

In the end, they all went with Sirius to purchase the brooms. Augusta tried to talk him out of it by pointing out that it might look like he had bought Harry's appointment to the team, but he brushed her off. "Even if people think that, when they see him play, they'll know it's not true." Sirius kept running ahead of the others and then turning back, telling them to hurry up.

Cat couldn't remember seeing her husband so crazily excited, and she found herself carried along on his wave of giddiness. She couldn't stop giggling. He'd been so serious, lately, what with the Stone having been stolen, the murders of the Flamels, and then the whole situation with Harry wanting to know more about his parent's murders. So seeing him like this was a wondrous thing, and she decided just to go with it. She ran to catch up with him, clasped his hand in hers, and ran on to Quality Quidditch, giggling all the while.

They arrived before the others, of course, breathless from laughter as well as from the sprint. He threw his arms around her and lifted her from the ground as he kissed her. "We should wait for the others, I guess," he said when he released her.

But Augusta, Frank, and Alice arrived only a moment later, having chosen to apparate the rest of the distance rather than running headlong down the street like Cat and Sirius had done. Sirius threw open the door to the shop and called out to the shopkeeper. "I need seven of your best brooms, my good man!"

The shopkeeper, who was actually a young witch, assured them she'd be happy to help them. "Current opinion is that the Nimbus 2000 is the best broom for quidditch, but other brooms are superior for different purposes."

"Quidditch is our purpose," Sirius told her. "So I'll take seven Nimbus 2000s, and I'll need them delivered to Hogwarts, to Professor McGonagall."

"That's quite a generous gift to the Gryffindor quidditch team," she said. "Let me make sure I have seven of them in stock. I'll be right back."

As the witch disappeared into the back of the shop, Sirius conjured a piece of parchment and scrawled a quick note to Minerva asking her to deliver the brooms to the quidditch team and to tell them they came from an anonymous donor. He also asked her when the practices were going to be held and for a schedule of all of Gryffindor's matches. When the witch returned and informed them that she did indeed have seven Nimbus 2000 brooms in stock, Sirius asked her to attach his note to the shipment. He signed the form that would draft an enormous amount of galleons from his account, thanked the shopkeeper, and they turned to leave the store.

Bill Weasley was just entering the shop, and they greeted each other warmly. "I've just arrived for the meeting later on," Bill told them. "And I need some new gloves for the pick-up quidditch games I've been playing recently."

"Harry made the Gryffindor team!" Sirius told him. "The youngest seeker in a century!"

"Wow, that's excellent! Tell him congratulations from me next time you see him."

"I will!" Sirius said.

"Hey, Sirius, wait a sec, will you? I wanted to talk to you about something." Bill told the young witch the type of gloves he was looking for and assured her he'd be right back, then he stepped out into the street with the others. "I wanted to ask about the Stone."

"What do you want to know?" Augusta asked. She looked around to make sure they wouldn't be overheard, but this part of the street was deserted.

"How do you suppose Dolohov knew when Flamel would remove it from Gringott's?"

Frank sighed. "Apparently, he'd been watching the Flamels. They removed the Stone on the first Saturday of June every two years so that they could replenish their store of the elixir."

"That's monumentally stupid," Alice commented.

"Not to speak ill of the dead," Sirius said. "But I agree."

"But why would they do that? Flamel obviously wasn't stupid," Bill said. "He invented the Stone, and he had the good sense to store it at Gringott's rather than keeping it at home or at the wizarding bank in France. I think Gringott's must be the safest place in the world. If I had an object I truly valued, I'd certainly keep it at Gringott's."

"As one gets older, it's difficult not to fall into routine," Augusta explained. "My guess is that the Flamels never considered that someone would watch them so closely. After all, they only removed the stone once every two years. Someone would have to keep an awfully close eye on them to realize that pattern."

"How do we know that he hasn't already used it to bring Voldemort back?" Bill asked.

"I suppose we don't know that he hasn't for certain, but I don't think he has. I think we would know if that had happened." Augusta's confident tone made Sirius wonder what made her so sure of that.

"You know," Alice said. "I don't think he plans on bringing Voldemort back. My guess is that he's taking advantage of the power vacuum and plans to lead the dark wizards himself."

Frank blinked at her. "I never really considered that, but it makes perfect sense."

"Great," Sirius said. "If you're right, and Voldemort does manage to come back, we won't have to bother with Dolohov. Old Voldy'll do away with him himself."

Alice's laugh was dry and mirthless. "That's hardly comforting."

They said goodbye to Bill and started heading back down the street to the Leaky Cauldron. Sirius ran the conversation back over in his mind. Something Bill said had sparked an idea that zinged through Sirius' brain. He stopped walking and said, "Gringott's."

Frank turned back. "What about it?"

"Bill said if he had an object he really valued, he'd keep it at Gringott's." Sirius' voice had a dreamlike quality to it.

"Yeah, so would I." Frank shrugged. "In fact, I do."

"What if Voldemort felt the same way?" Sirius whispered. "What if one of the horcruxes is hidden there?"

"But he didn't have a vault at Gringott's," Alice countered.

"No, he didn't," Sirius agreed. "But one of his most fervent and loyal supporters does, and since she's locked up in Azkaban, Narcissa, Andromeda, and I have access to it as her closest relatives."

Frank, Augusta, and Cat stared at him. They hadn't given up on searching for horcruxes, exactly, but over the years, they'd run out of ideas on where to find them. Augusta smiled. "It's certainly worth a try."

"But if he did hide one at Gringott's, it could be in any of his supporters' vaults. It might be in the Malfoy vault," Alice suggested.

"Well, Narcissa has access to that one, too," Sirius said. "But I don't think so. He trusted Lucius, but he was still somewhat of a threat. There was always the chance that Lucius would become power-hungry and attempt a coup, but Bellatrix…Bellatrix was so enamored of Voldemort that she'd never have done that."

Sirius wasted no time, but immediately sent patronuses to Andromeda and Narcissa asking them to meet him outside of Gringott's at their earliest convenience. Frank, Augusta, and Alice headed back to Longbottom Hall to prepare for the meeting with the Order members who hadn't been able to attend their latest meeting at which Frank had suggested ousting Fudge. Sirius assured them that he'd try to make the meeting but told them that he felt strongly about checking Gringott's first.

Narcissa and Andromeda arrived only minutes later. "We were having tea together at Malfoy Manor when your patronuses arrived," Andromeda told Sirius. "What's up?"

Despite Dumbledore's protests, both Andromeda and Narcissa had been informed of the horcrux hunt years prior, and they were both more than willing to go with Sirius and Cat to check their sister's vault. They entered Gringott's, informed a goblin named Gornuk of their intent to visit Bellatrix LeStrange's vault, and presented their wands as identification. Gornuk told them that he would escort the three of them to the vault right away but that Cat was not allowed to accompany them.

Kissing Sirius on the cheek, she said, "That's okay. I'll wait for you at the Leaky Cauldron."

"We won't be long," he assured her.

They proceeded down a corridor to a cart on rails, and Gornuk instructed them all to get in. At the goblin's command, the little cart zipped along on the rails, twisting and turning as it continued to gain speed. Narcissa's face took on a greenish tinge, and Sirius started to feel a bit queasy himself by the time they'd finally reached their destination. His own vault was nearby, but he hardly ever visited. He preferred to make purchases with the draft slips that most shops kept on hand, and on the rare occasion when he needed actual money, he simply filled out a withdrawal slip and let the goblins do the legwork while he waited in one of the side-rooms off the polished marble hall of the entrance to the bank.

The sight of the chained dragon intensified the queasiness he'd begun to feel on their cart journey, and he moved past it as quickly as he could while Gornuk shook the clankers to make the creature withdraw. Although he had no desire to own a dragon like Hagrid did, the sight of such a magnificent animal reduced to this blind, cowering, imprisoned existence filled him with indignation.

As Gornuk placed his hand on the vault door to open it, Andromeda said, "If I know Bella, she'll have put curses on the treasure within. My guess is that it will have, at the very least, Gemino, but most likely much nastier stuff as well. We'd best not touch anything until we can disable the curses."

"Agreed," Narcissa said, and Sirius nodded as well.

The vault was filled to bursting with galleons and other treasure, and they stood at the doorway waving their wands slowly side to side then up and down to discern the nature of the curses. Andromeda muttered something under her breath and informed them she'd disabled the Gemino curse. A few seconds later, Narcissa said she'd undone the flagrante curse as well.

"I don't sense anything else," Sirius said cautiously. "Do either of you?"

They both shook their heads. "Any idea what we're looking for?" Andromeda asked.

Sirius thought back to the memories he'd witnessed with Dumbledore, but before he could say anything, Narcissa said, "Hopefully, it's Helga Hufflepuff's cup. It's gold, double-handled, with a badger engraved on it."

Sirius raised his eyebrows at her. "Severus has been fairly obsessed with locating the damned thing," she explained. "I can't even imagine how pleased he'll be if we find it."

Andromeda tried a summoning charm, which failed, so they began sifting through the treasure. They'd been at it for the better part of an hour when Sirius had an idea. He instructed them all to stand outside the vault, and then he sat down, closed his eyes, and let himself fall into the calm, meditative state that he'd practiced so much over the years. He reached out into the vault with his magic, inviting dark objects to make themselves known to him. Immediately, several items began to emit a low humming sound. Then he slowly moved around the vault, inspecting each object from which he heard the humming. Finally, he spotted it sitting on a high shelf. It was smaller than he expected it to be, and had an unassuming, almost friendly aura about it. He reached out a hand to grab it.

"Don't touch it with your bare hand!" Narcissa warned.

"You're right, of course. I don't think I can reach it anyway." He turned to face them. "Is there a pole or something that I can use to get it down? I've tried levitating it, but it didn't work."

Gornuk looked around outside the vault and returned a moment later with a pole with a hook at the end of it. He handed it to Sirius, who used it to hook one of the handles and bring it down from the shelf. He conjured a bag and asked Andromeda to hold it open while he dropped it off the hook. "I'm pretty sure this is it," he said. "We'll have to take it to Dumbledore and Severus so they can confirm it."

"We should take the other dark objects as well," suggested Narcissa. "If only to make sure they never return to the wrong hands." She conjured a pair of dragon hide gloves and placed them in the bag.

While they were there, they checked the Malfoy vault as well, but, although there were a few dark objects within its walls, Sirius didn't think any of them were horcruxes. He placed them in the bag as well, and they made their way back out of Gringott's.

"You got one, didn't you," Cat said when they approached her table at the Leaky Cauldron.

"I think so," Sirius said. "I need to get it to Dumbledore. Are you coming with me?"

"What about the meeting?" Cat asked. "It starts in less than an hour."

"I'll be late," he said. "But this is more important."

Sirius floo-called Dumbledore and asked if they could come through. He gave his consent, so Sirius stepped through and sent a patronus to Severus while he the others came through. "We think we found another horcrux," he told Dumbledore.

Dumbledore's welcoming smile became a puzzled expression. "How in the world did you do that?"

"I'll explain once Severus arrives," Sirius responded.

"May I see it?" Dumbledore asked.

Sirius nodded and placed the bag on his desk. "There are a few things in there along with the cup, but I don't think any of them is a horcrux. I brought them along just in case, though."

Dumbledore donned a pair of dragon hide gloves and began inspecting the objects. "Oh, yes," he said as he looked at the cup. "This is definitely a horcrux. Well done!"

Severus arrived a few minutes later. He was surprised but obviously very pleased to see Narcissa. After embracing her, he shook Sirius' hand and gave Andromeda and Cat a kiss on the cheek. Then his eyes fell on the cup sitting on Dumbledore's desk. "I guess I don't have to ask why you're all here. How did you find it?"

Sirius told them the whole story, from the conversation with Bill sparking the idea of the possibility of a horcrux hidden in Bellatrix's vault through to them arriving in Dumbledore's office. "So, after this one is destroyed," Severus said. "We only have two remaining horcruxes to find."

"If my theory about six horcruxes is correct, yes," Dumbledore agreed.

"And then, of course, there's Harry," Sirius said with a sigh. "Have you come up with any way to extract that bit of soul without harming him?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'll keep trying, though, and Augusta's working on it as well. We'll find a way."

"In the meantime, let's get rid of this one," Severus suggested. "Want to do the honors, Sirius?"

Sirius nodded, and Dumbledore removed the sword of Gryffindor from its case and handed it to him. When he unsheathed the sword, Sirius thought he heard a whispering emanating from the cup, but he ignored it and brought the blade crashing down on it. The impact jarred him much more than he thought it would, and he fell to the floor. Cat knelt at his side and asked him if he was okay.

"I'm all right," he assured her. "Just a bit clumsy, I guess. I suppose I should have kept up with those fencing lessons my mother always wanted me to take."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Harry's mood took a dramatic upswing upon being selected to the quidditch team. With quidditch practices three times a week and their first match just a month away, he really had something to look forward to. He wished that Ron had made the team as well, but maybe next year. He'd done really well at try-outs, but there were just too many older, more practiced returning members of the team. Neville had decided not to try out, saying that quidditch practice took up too much time in which he needed to study.

Draco had decided to try out for the Slytherin team, though, and Harry had never seen him more nervous. The morning of tryouts he bragged incessantly about his quidditch abilities and told them that he planned to try out for every position since he played them all with equal brilliance. Hermione and Padma rolled their eyes at each other across the breakfast table. They'd never seen Draco act like this before, and they were obviously quite put-out. Harry whispered in Padma's ear that Draco only acted like this when he was frightened or nervous. Padma's attitude changed instantly, and when Hermione claimed she had too much studying to do to watch tryouts, Padma linked arms with her and pulled her along. She whispered in Hermione's ear. Hermione stopped walking for a moment, then said, "Oh, all right," and came along.

Harry only hoped that Draco's tryouts went as well as his had. He settled into the stands along with Hermione, Padma, Ron, Neville, and Blaise. As soon as Draco walked onto the pitch, though, things started to go wrong. There was a sudden gust of wind, and Draco's robes flew up over his head.

"It's a good thing Draco always wears trousers under his robes," Ron commented. "People would have gotten a bit of a show if that had happened to me."

Hermione laughed along with the others before asking, "But why did that happen? The wind's hardly blowing."

Draco managed to smooth his robes back down and mount his broom, but while the broom flew up, Draco stayed on the ground. He summoned the broom back to him immediately and managed a smooth takeoff on the second try, but one of the other Slytherins said something to him that caused his face to turn very red.

"I think some of the other players are playing tricks on him," Blaise said. "A lot of the Slytherins don't like him. Actually, that's an understatement. A lot of the Slytherins don't like me, but they absolutely detest him."

Harry felt stupid for being surprised at this. After all, he'd seen Nott's reaction to him first-hand, and Draco never sat with any of the Slytherins other than Blaise. "But why would they mess with him now?" Harry asked. "Don't they want the best players for their team?"

Blaise shrugged. "That's just horrible," Hermione said. Just then, one of the Slytherin beaters behind Draco aimed a bludger right at the back of his head. "Draco, look out!" Hermione screamed.

Draco turned and dodged the bludger just in time. The captain, Marcus Flint, smiled evilly at the beater before saying, "Keep those bludgers under control, Derrick. We haven't even started yet."

Theodore Nott, who was sitting in the stands a few rows below them, yelled, "Lucky for Draco his mudblood girlfriend's looking out for him." Many of the other Slytherins started to laugh.

Neville, Ron, Harry, and Blaise all stood up and started toward Nott. "Sit down!" Hermione called out after them. "You'll only make it worse."

Realizing she was right, they turned back. "I'm going to get that guy one day," Ron said.

"Yes, but not now," Padma said. "We have to be smart about it."

Tryouts had begun in earnest, and it became very clear that Flint didn't want Draco on the team. Instead of hovering and evaluating players, he flew around speaking to various team members, after which something bad would happen to Draco. Harry kept hoping that Draco would give up and they could all head back up to the castle, but he was apparently resolute in his decision to try out for every position. By the end of the try-outs, he'd been hit by bludgers five times, rammed between two players three times, and had various jinxes cast at him (although he'd managed to avoid most of them). Even with all of the abuse hurled his way, he'd caught the snitch almost as many times as Higgs, the player that won the seeker position.

Harry thought if all that had happened to him, he'd have steered his broom to the far end of the pitch and sprinted back to the castle by himself, but Draco landed just in front of where they were sitting in the stands and made his way toward them. When he met up with them, Hermione reached out a hand to touch the bruise that was blossoming on his cheek and asked if he was okay.

"Of course," he replied easily.

"I've seen you play seeker loads of times," Harry told him. "You're way better than that Higgs guy."

Draco nodded. "He's an all right bloke, though. I'm glad for him. Let's get some lunch, okay? I'm starving."

Harry hadn't yet told his friends about the odd part of his conversation with Uncle Sev, and he was glad of it. He knew Draco needed something to take his mind off the disastrous try-out. "So Uncle—I mean Professor Snape told me I should continue practicing the spells I learned this summer. He said something about going up to the seventh floor by Barnabas the Barmy to think about it."

"That's weird," Ron commented. "Why'd he say that?"

Everyone looked puzzled, but then Draco said, "I overheard him telling Mother something about a hidden room on the seventh floor. Should we check it out after lunch?"

Since it was a Saturday, and they had the whole of the next day to do their homework, they all agreed. Only Hermione had to be convinced. "Quirrell's not teaching us anything," Neville said. "But we'll still have a Defense exam at the end of the year. It's really just homework of a different sort."

Soon they were standing in the seventh floor corridor by a painting of a man trying to teach trolls ballet. "That's barmy, all right," said Ron.

"What are we supposed to do?" Neville asked.

"Uncle Sev just said to think about practicing the spells I learned," Harry said.

"Are you thinking about it?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded. Nothing happened. "Maybe you need to think harder," Ron suggested.

Harry closed his eyes and thought as hard as he could for several moments. He opened his eyes, but nothing had happened. "Let's all close our eyes and think about practicing defensive spells," Padma suggested.

Ron giggled a little at first, but soon all of them were standing with their eyes closed and thinking about practicing spells. Still nothing happened. Blaise asked, "Do you think Professor Snape was playing a joke on Harry?"

"No," Draco answered. "Dad doesn't play jokes like that. There's got to be something we're missing."

"When my dad's thinking hard about something, he paces back and forth," Neville suggested.

Harry shrugged. "All right, I'll give it a go." He continued thinking about practicing the spells he'd learned and began pacing up and down the corridor. He felt a bit silly, but on his third time past the painting, he heard Ron say, "Whoa, it worked!" He turned to see two large doors on the wall opposite the painting that hadn't been there only moments before.

He opened one of the doors and went inside with the others close on his heels. Neville was the last one through the door, and he closed it behind him. They began to look around the large room. Hermione, Padma, and Draco made a beeline for the bookshelves. "These books are amazing!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Hey, check this out," Ron called out. He was inspecting a large dummy which Harry figured was intended for spell practice.

Blaise jumped on the large, thick mats that covered most of the left side of the room. "These are great!" He turned a few cartwheels and flipped a couple of somersaults before lying flat on his back.

Draco looked around appraisingly. "This room seems to have everything we need to seriously study practical defense."

"Let's get started, then," Harry said. "Over the summer, our parents and Gram taught us a few spells. Expelliarmus, the disarming charm, seems a good place to start. After we're all comfortable with that one, we can try the shield charm and then whatever else any of us has learned along with whatever's in the books there."

"Let's plan on coming here at least once a week," Neville suggested.

Everyone eagerly agreed to both Harry and Neville's plans, so they got started with Harry and Neville demonstrating the disarming charm. "That's really cool," Blaise commented after the demonstration. "Should we pair up and practice?"

"Sounds good," Harry said. Padma and Hermione, Draco and Blaise, and Ron and Neville paired up together.

"Oh, Harry, you haven't a partner," Hermione said.

"That's okay," said Harry. "I'm pretty good at this one already, so I can help anyone who needs help and then rotate in whenever."

Neville said that he had fairly well mastered the disarming charm over the summer as well, so he would let Ron try disarming him for a bit. After fifteen minutes of practice, Hermione had managed to disarm Padma. "I did it!" she exclaimed.

"That's really great, Hermione!" Harry congratulated her.

A second later, a jet of red light came out of Draco's wand and Blaise's wand went flying out of his hand. "Wow!" Blaise had to step back from the force of the spell.

"How'd you do that, Draco?" Hermione asked. "When I disarmed Padma, there was a white light coming out of my wand, and hers didn't fly nearly as high."

"I dunno," Draco admitted. "I guess I was just concentrating really hard."

They kept up the practice until everyone had successfully disarmed their opponents at least twice before moving on to the shield charm. "So the incantation is 'protego'," Neville told them, "and the resulting shield when it's properly cast is invisible unless it's really, really strong."

"How are we going to know if we're successful if it's invisible?" Padma asked.

"You sort of feel a vibration from your wand hand up to your elbow if you're doing it right," Harry said. "Also, if you've got a shield up, expelliarmus won't work against you."

"Yeah, but we haven't completely mastered that one yet," Ron pointed out. "So we won't really know if the person's not disarmed due to the shield or because the disarm's not done properly."

"That's true," Draco said. "But how about we just practice, and we're bound to get better at both spells."

Ron shrugged. They kept the same pairings, except that this time Harry joined Neville and Ron's grouping. "I'll just practice maintaining a shield for a bit, and then you can try to disarm me every once in a while, Neville. We'll see if I can keep my guard up. Then we'll switch off, okay?"

Neville nodded. He disarmed Ron five times in a row. "I think I felt a bit of a tingle in my hand that last time," Ron said. "Like a shield might have been trying to form. Let's keep going!"

"Yeah, okay," Neville said. He aimed a disarming spell at Harry then, which was deflected by Harry's shield. "Great job, Harry!" he commented before going back to disarming Ron.

After a half hour of practice, no one other than Neville and Harry had managed a strong enough shield charm to stave off a disarming charm, but each of the others had performed a weak shield that allowed them to merely drop their wand rather than having it sent flying. Additionally, each of them had become more consistent with their disarming charms.

"I think we've all done spectacularly well," Harry said. "All I ever get out of Quirrell's classes is a throbbing headache, but if we keep this up, we'll be defense masters by the end of the school year!"

"You know, shield charms are pretty advanced magic. I think they're usually learned in fourth or fifth year," Draco commented. "I wonder why your parents taught it to you so early."

Harry and Neville looked at each other and frowned. They hadn't had any idea of the difficulty level of the shield charm, and, in fact, it hadn't occurred to either of them to even wonder about it.

"Oi, thanks for telling us that, Draco!" Ron lightly smacked his friend on the back of his head.

"Don't touch the hair," Draco yelled.

Ron laughed at him. "I was having a hard enough time with that spell before. Now that I know it's several years above my abilities, I'll never get it."

"Of course you will, Ronald," Hermione reassured him. "Just look at how well you're doing with the disarming charm. After an hour's practice, you were successful nearly every time. And it's usually taught in the second or third year."

Ron puffed his chest out upon hearing this praise. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Hermione."

"I'm _always_ right, Ronald," she said with a tone of mock haughtiness.


	25. Chapter 25

The fireplace in Severus' office lit up, and his wife and daughter stepped out. A bright smile spreading across his face, he rushed over to greet them. He'd had duty the night before and hadn't gotten home until late, and although he once would have considered it pathetic, he wasn't the least bit ashamed to admit how much he had missed them. "Daddy!" Carina exclaimed as she ran into his arms.

"Hello, my darling girl! How was your day?"

"Mummy and I went shopping, an' I got a new doll!" She held out the golden-haired porcelain doll for his inspection. "See, it's got yellow hair like Mummy's. Isn't she pretty?"

"She is," Severus agreed.

"Don't I get a kiss, too?" Narcissa asked Severus with a bit of a pout. He knew she wasn't really jealous and could never be jealous of their daughter. He stood up to embrace her, and then there was a knock at the door. "It's Draco!" Narcissa rushed past him, a flash of perfumed taffeta and excitement. She pulled open the door and grabbed her son in a fervent embrace. "Oh, my sweetheart, how I've missed you!"

Draco hastened to close the door behind him. "I've missed you too, Mother, but it's only been a few weeks."

"You must tell me everything!" she said, dragging the boy over to the carefully laid table that Severus had prepared for them.

Severus turned the tables on her. "Don't I get a kiss too?" His facial expression mocked her pout perfectly, and his tone was sardonic.

Meanwhile, Carina had spotted her brother. "Draco! Draco! Draco!"

Draco picked her up, hugged her, and shielded her eyes. "Avert your eyes, Carina! It's that mushy stuff again!"

Severus had taken his wife in his arms and kissed her lovingly, but chastely. "I missed you, my sweet," he whispered in her ear.

"Eww!" Carina squealed with wide-eyed glee. Neither of them were actually disgusted when their parents kissed, but this was a little game of theirs. "Mushy stuff!"

"Shall we have dinner?" Severus asked. He had transfigured his desk into a small dining table earlier, and they all gathered around it. He glanced over at Narcissa, who was positively beaming, and was extremely glad Dumbledore had granted him this perk. Draco wasn't allowed to leave Hogwarts during the term, but at least they could all have dinner together in his office every once in a while. He rang a bell, and cups of lobster bisque appeared before each of them.

"This is wonderful." Narcissa's joy radiated out of her like sunshine.

"The soup is quite good," Draco said.

Narcissa slapped his shoulder playfully. "Not the bisque, you silly! I meant, this, us, having dinner together. How are your studies?"

"Very good, thanks, Mother. I'm learning something new every day."

"He's top of the class at Potions, of course," Severus said proudly. "And the other professors all tell me he's doing splendidly."

"Excellent, Draco," Narcissa purred. "How are Harry, Neville, and Ron? Do you see much of them?"

"They're doing fine. I see them every day."

"Have you made any new friends?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. I've become quite close with Blaise Zabini, and I'm also friends with Padma Patil and Hermione Granger."

"I recognize the names Patil and Zabini," Narcissa said. "But I'm unfamiliar with Granger. Who are her parents?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "They're dentists, I think."

Severus could see that his son was somewhat distressed. "She's the brilliant girl I told you about, dear. She's quite talented at Potions, although nowhere near as skilled as Draco."

"What are dentists?" Narcissa asked.

Draco gave a half-hearted shrug. "Umm…I'm not sure."

"They care for people's teeth," Severus explained.

Narcissa looked puzzled. "I've never heard of that before."

Draco turned a bit red. "She's muggle-born."

"Oh, of course. I seem to remember Catharine mentioning a sweet little muggle-born girl who attended Harry and Neville's birthday party. I think it's marvelous that you've become friends with her."

"You do?" Draco asked, his relief plainly showing on his face and in his voice. Severus wondered if his son had detected the slight emphasis his wife placed on the word "friends". Draco had always been precociously perceptive, but he hadn't seemed to pick up on it.

"Absolutely, my darling! Is she adjusting well to wizarding society?"

Draco nodded. "She learns very quickly, and she's studying harder than anyone else." He looked around the table and dissolved into giggles when he saw what his baby sister had gotten up to while they were otherwise occupied. "Oh, Mother, look at Carina!"

Carina's face was barely visible underneath a thick coating of lobster bisque. "Yummy!" She said triumphantly.

"Oh, darling, you are positively covered in bisque. Let's get you cleaned up. My goodness, I think you've managed to wear more than you've eaten!" Narcissa siphoned off the worst of the mess with her wand, and then she conjured a flannel, dampened it with an aguamenti spell, warmed it with a warming charm, and gently wiped the remainder of the soup from her daughter's face, neck, arms, and hands.

Later that evening, Severus reclined in bed watching his wife take down her long, blonde hair and brush it out in smooth strokes. He liked her hair best this way, loose and flowing, and tonight it tumbled over her pale shoulders that were left bare by her long, sleeveless silver nightgown. Gorgeous, his wife was. He was about to tell her so, when she turned and made a comment that he missed due to his rather ensorcelled state. "I'm sorry, darling. I wasn't listening properly. I'm afraid I was altogether too entranced by your beauty."

She smiled at him. Narcissa wasn't one for false modesty; she knew her positive attributes well, and beauty was certainly among them. "I was just saying how nice it was to be able to see Draco tonight. I miss him so, and I get a bit jealous that you get to see him every day."

"Yes, well, most days it's only during my class or a glimpse of him in the Great Hall during lunchtime. I haven't had a chance to really speak with him much other than when he came to speak to me about getting out of flying lessons."

"Do you think he's adjusting all right? He doesn't seem too homesick, does he?" Worry lines temporarily creased her flawless forehead.

"He seems to be doing very well, although he's not socializing with his housemates other than Zabini."

"Why do you think that is, Severus?"

"For the most part, I've no idea. He had a bit of trouble with Nott at the beginning of term, like I told you, but I haven't heard of any problems other than that."

"What do you think of this Granger girl?"

"She's exceptionally bright, eager to learn, and she's adjusting to Hogwarts quite well." Severus considered Narcissa's lengthy adjustment period to Sirius dating Catharine. "Does it bother you that Draco is socializing with a muggle-born child?"

She sighed. "I've no problems with Draco making friends with muggle-born children, no, but I hope it's just that. I have high hopes for Draco, and an unwise marriage would make things so much more difficult for him."

"Marriage! Narcissa, they're eleven!"

"They won't be eleven forever. It seems like he's quite taken with the girl already."

"What in the world makes you say that? I haven't gotten the slightest hint that Draco's even interested in girls yet."

She raised an elegantly shaped eyebrow at him. "Call it mother's intuition."

"What if he did marry a muggle-born? What would you do? Disown him? Spurn the girl?"

"Of course not! But, Severus, consider the position Draco currently occupies. He is the last of a once-proud line, now brought low by his biological father's imprisonment. If he marries wisely—to one of the Greengrass girls, one of the Patil twins, or even Ginevra Weasley—you know, a pure-blood of good standing, but with moderate views on blood purity…just think of the influence they could wield within the Sacred Twenty-Eight."

"More so than if he married a talented witch of muggle parents?"

"Don't pretend to be naive, Severus. It's difficult enough for Sirius to make his voice heard on that council, and he has more true friends there than Draco will likely have. If he marries a muggle-born, blood supremacists will despise him for sullying the Malfoy line, and everyone else will contend that he's just trying to shake off the taint of Lucius being a death eater."

"It's not as if the council wields any actual power any more. They don't even get a seat on the Wizengamot any longer."

"Oh, I suppose that's why the _Prophet_ covers their meetings, because they're so powerless." She put her hair brush back on her vanity and sat on the bed beside him.

Her ivory skin beckoned him from the low drape of the back of her nightgown. He'd been irritated with her only a moment before, yet now he found himself reaching a hand to caress her back. He forced himself to withdraw his hand as he struggled to remain focused on their conversation. There was a question he'd been wanting to ask her for a long time. "What changed your mind about Catharine? Was it just that you got to know her, or was there something else?"

"After a while, there just didn't seem to be any point opposing the union. I'd hoped, at first, that Sirius' relationship with her was just a casual thing and that he could be swayed to see reason, but when it became clear to me that he loved her, well, what good would it have done to continue? I'd have lost him, and then I wouldn't even have been able to guide her in navigating wizarding society."

Severus nodded. He'd thought as much. Narcissa's tendency to be pragmatic in all matters save fashion was one of the many things he loved about her. "And now, can you imagine our lives without her?"

Her smile was pure and radiant. "No, I honestly can't. She's like a sister to me, and her fashion sense is impeccable, both magical and muggle."

"So maybe you should just let Draco choose his own path, and everything will work itself out."

"Severus Snape, when did you become such the optimist?" she giggled as she lay down beside him.

"I had to, I suppose, or I never would've had the courage to propose to you." He pulled her close as she snuggled her head against his chest. He knew this wouldn't be the last of this sort of conversation, and he chided himself for not asking the other question he'd both wanted and dreaded to ask. For now, though, he decided to let it be.


	26. Chapter 26

"You didn't say the incantation, Neville," Harry whispered as Neville's feather took flight above their desk in Charms class. "And you're not even holding your wand."

"Oh, right." Neville hastily picked up his wand and pointed it at the feather.

"Oh, oh, everyone, look!" cried Professor Flitwick. "Mr. Longbottom's done it!" The diminutive professor pointed up in the air where Neville's feather sailed through the air doing loop-de-loops.

Harry elbowed him. "Tone it down a bit, mate. Don't be a showoff."

Neville allowed his feather to swoop back down on their desk and beamed his thanks to his classmates' congratulatory words. "You could do it just as easy, Harry. Why don't you?"

"I think we should try to keep a low profile about the stuff we already know, and I want to learn to do it properly. Wingardium leviosa!" Harry's feather took flight immediately, and he steered it over to tickle Neville's nose. He brought it back down, and then turned to look at Ron and Hermione, who appeared to be bickering. A moment later, Hermione's feather floated into the air. Ron grumbled something and turned away from her.

As they filed out of class, a small Hufflepuff girl approached Neville. "Great job, Neville! Maybe you could help me with the levitation spell sometime?"

Neville looked rather taken aback. "Oh, ah, sure, umm…"

"Susan," the girl told him. "That would be—"

But whatever Susan was about to say was cut short by Marcus Flint rounding the corner and jeering at Neville, "Oh, look, boys! Fatbottom's got an admirer!"

"Watch your mouth, Flint!" yelled Ron.

"Shove off, Weasley! Tuck your ickle tail and run back to Mummy at the Burrow! How'd your house get its name, then, Weasley? Is it 'cause your parents reproduce like rabbits?"

Flint's friends all laughed and began jeering derisively at Ron, who'd turned scarlet. A few moments later, Fred and George emerged from their class to see Ron surrounded by sneering sixth-year Slytherins. Fred caught Flint with a jelly-legs jinx, while George cast a bat-bogey hex on one of the others. Flint fumbled and drew his wand, but Ron disarmed him before he could cast anything.

Professor Flitwick had apparently heard the commotion because he came to the door and told them all to lay off the roughhousing and get to lunch.

After the Slytherins had departed, they slowly made their way to the Great Hall. "What happened?" asked George.

Ron started telling them, and when he got to the part about the Burrow, Fred and George dissolved into laughter. "What's so funny?" Hermione asked. "That was a really inappropriate thing to say about your parents!"

Large tears of mirth rolled down the twins' faces. "It's just that—" George barely managed to say.

"That _is_ why it's called the Burrow," Fred finished, wiping away a tear and calming himself down.

"What?" said Ron. "That's disgusting!"

Fred cocked his head to the side and shrugged. "Well, thank our uncles for it. They're the ones who named our home the Burrow."

"Shortly after Fred and I were born," added George.

"And, after a while, despite Mum's protests, the name stuck," Fred said.

"Although I think Dad liked the name from the beginning," said George.

Draco, Blaise, and Padma were already seated at the table, so Ron sat down beside them and began heaping roasted chicken legs onto his plate. "Well, thanks for hexing those guys."

"No problem, Ronnie!" George said.

"Yeah, Ronniekins, anytime. Nobody gets to mess with our kid brother except us, eh George?"

"Absolutely, Fred. Say, Ron, where'd you learn expelliarmus?"

"Yeah, Ron, that was a nice one!"

Fred's rare compliment caused Ron to go pink again. "Oh, Harry and Neville taught it to me. Could you teach me that jelly-legs jinx? Or the bat-bogey hex?" Ron asked hopefully.

Fred and George looked at each other and seemed to communicate silently. "We'll think about it," they said in unison as they went to sit down by their best friend, Lee Jordan.

After they'd gone, Ron turned to his friends. "What do you think about asking Fred and George to come to the practice room with us?" he whispered.

Harry shrugged. "It's all right by me."

No one had any objections. "Right, then," Ron said. "I'll make a deal with them. I'll show them the room if they'll agree to teach us the jelly-legs jinx and the bat-bogey hex. Oh, and Draco, you've got to show us flippendo."

"Yeah, sure," Draco said.

"Aha! I knew it! I knew you'd flippendoed me! There, you've just admitted it!" Ron said triumphantly.

"I said no such thing," Draco countered. "I merely admitted to knowing the spell."

Ron and Draco argued back and forth a bit before Padma reminded Ron that he'd intended to do a deal with Fred and George, and didn't he want to speak to them about it?

"Oh, yeah," Ron said.

"I was also thinking that I might invite my sister and her friend Lavender to join us in our defense studies," Padma said.

Everyone else looked at each other. "I suppose that would be all right, don't you think?" Hermione said. "It's not as if we're trying to hide what we're doing. Professor Snape suggested it."

"Yeah," Draco said, not sounding entirely convinced. "I guess so."

"Should we meet this afternoon before dinner?" Harry suggested. "I've got Quidditch practice tomorrow, the last one before the first match."

"I'd wish you good luck," Draco said, "if you weren't playing Slytherin."

"I'll wish you luck, anyway," Blaise said. "And I hope your brothers clobber Flint, Ron."

Ron nodded heartily and rose from the table to speak to Fred and George, but he had a hard time convincing Fred and George that he knew about a secret room in the castle that they didn't. "It's not even on the map," George said.

"What map?" Ron asked.

"Huh! Wouldn't you like to know?" Fred scoffed.

"Whatever," Ron replied. "If you want to come and see, meet us on the seventh floor in front of the portrait of Barnabas at four o' clock, and be prepared to teach us jelly-legs and the bat-bogey hex."

"Ah, bless him," Ron heard Fred say as he walked back to his friends. "Ickle Ronniekins is trying to prank us. Should we play along?"

"Why not?" George replied.

But at four o'clock, Fred and George were nowhere to be seen. Ron kicked at the floor, disappointed at missing the chance to impress his brothers. Pavarti and Lavender were giggling together and teasing Padma about inventing a secret room in the castle.

"It is here!" Padma said indignantly, and she began to pace back and forth down the corridor. After her third pass, the doors appeared. Padma and Hermione each opened a door and turned to smirk at the other girls, who were now staring in wide-mouthed amazement.

"How did you do that?" Pavarti asked.

Just then, there was a clatter, and two suits of armor fell to the floor, revealing Fred, George, and Lee. They stepped out from behind the mess, Lee turned and muttered "reparo", and the suits jumped back to form.

Ron saw that they were holding dung-bombs and told them to put them away. "Merlin, Ron, we thought you were just pranking us!" George exclaimed as he pocketed the dung-bomb he'd been holding.

"So we were going to prank you instead," said Fred.

They all went inside the room. The five new additions to defense practice looked around, excitedly examining various aspects of the room. "How in the world did a bunch of first-years find this place?" Lee asked.

Hermione started to answer, but Ron clapped a hand over her mouth. She turned to glare at him, and he quickly removed his hand. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he said to his brothers and their friend.

"Come on, everyone," Neville said. "Quit messing around! We're here to practice defense."

"Yeah, you have to show us the jelly-legs jinx and the bat-bogey hex!" Ron told Fred and George.

"Absolutely," Fred grinned. He flicked his wand and muttered something, and suddenly Ron's legs started to wobble.

"A deal's a deal," George agreed, and he, too, cast a spell. Ron collapsed to the floor, fighting off winged bogeys.

"Knock it off!" Ron yelled. Fred and George, giggling maniacally, performed the counter-spells, and Ron righted himself.

"Sorry, Ron," Fred said.

"Couldn't resist," George added. "We'll show you properly, though."

The group gathered around, and Fred and George demonstrated the spells, this time on each other, after which everyone paired up to practice. Lee shot a jelly-legs at Harry, who deflected it with a shield spell.

"How'd you do that?" Lee asked, clearly amazed.

"It's just a simple shield charm," Draco said offhandedly. "We can all do them."

"Draco might be exaggerating a bit," said Hermione. "But we are learning to do them."

Fred, George, and Lee were dumbfounded. "We haven't even learned a shield charm yet! You've got to teach us!"

For the next two hours, they practiced spells, until finally their growling stomachs led them to stop for the day so that they could get some dinner. Fred and George walked on either side of Ron, who grinned widely as they discussed their progress.

"We should come here more than once a week," Lee suggested.

"Oh, yes, let's!" squealed Lavender. "I want to be able to bat-bogey Millicent Bulstrode the next time she shoves me."

"Does she shove you, too?" Hermione asked. "I thought it was just me."

"I'm game for defense practice any night we don't have quidditch," Fred said.

"What about homework?" Hermione asked.

"All right, not Thursdays either," George conceded. "We'll reserve that night for homework."

Fred and George laughed at Hermione's shocked face and continued to good-naturedly tease her throughout dinner. In the end, they decided to practice at least twice a week and also not to tell anyone else about the room, at least not without everyone agreeing to it.

Hermione doubted that Lavender and Pavarti, who were both renowned gossips, would be able to keep quiet, so she whispered to Padma, "You won't tell them how to access the room, will you?"

Padma shook her head emphatically. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Quidditch practice the next day saw the team performing at top notch, and the team captain, Oliver Wood, congratulated them all on an excellent practice. "If we play like that on Saturday, the Slytherins won't have a chance," he said. "Just don't get distracted. Fred, George, I know you'll want to get even with Flint after his treatment of your little brother and his friend, but stay focused on the game."

"We can do both," Fred assured him.

"Yeah, Oliver," George added. "With these new brooms, we're absolutely unbeatable!"

Oliver shook his head. "Don't go getting overconfident. The Slytherin team is formidable, and underestimating them is a big mistake—one we can't afford."

"Don't worry, Oliver!" George said. "We know what we're up against."

"Yeah," Fred said under his breath. "A bunch of slimy little gits."

Harry's heart hammered in his chest as he marched down to the quidditch pitch along with his teammates Saturday morning. He'd played loads of times, and he knew he was a good seeker, but he'd never played in front of a large audience. He looked around at the swarm of students making their way to the pitch and reckoned the entire school would turn up for the game. Swallowing hard, he scanned the crowd to see if his family had arrived yet, but he didn't spot them. He filed into the changing room along with the other Gryffindor players and changed into his team robes.

A few minutes later, Oliver Wood cleared his throat and began his pep talk, but Harry barely paid attention. His throat felt really dry while his hands felt moist and clammy, and his heart still hadn't stopped pounding. He looked around at the other players and wondered why it had never occurred to him how much bigger than him they were. Then he remembered the size of the Slytherin beaters and felt his knees begin to shake. When he'd played quidditch before, it was always with friends and family. No one had ever knocked a bludger his way intending him harm before, but today there was a strong likelihood of such an occurrence, if not many. Harry tried to breathe slowly and deeply the way Sirius had taught him, but then Fred was clapping him on the shoulder and telling him to come on.

Squinting in the sudden sunlight, he looked around and spotted his family sitting with McGonagall, Mr. Urquart, Dumbledore, and Hagrid. Cat saw him first, and nudged Sirius, who'd been speaking to Uncle Remus. He stood up and waved to Harry, and soon Aunt Alice, Uncle Frank, Gram, Uncle Remus and Cat followed suit. Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur were a row down from them with Fabian and Gideon, and they began waving as well. Harry smiled and waved back with his left hand, clutching his new Nimbus tightly in his right. He could hear Lee Jordan welcoming the crowd to the game and realized he was going to announce the lineup soon, so he scrambled to get in order behind Fred and George.

"It is my pleasure to present this year's Gryffindor lineup!" Lee called out. "Captain and Keeper, Oliver Wood! Chasers Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and Angelina Johnson! Beaters Fred and George Weasley! And the newest addition to the team, Seeker Harry Potter!"

As Lee called out their names, each player flew up and made a lap around the pitch before landing back on the ground to await the start of the match. The Gryffindors cheered loudly and called out their names as well, while many of the Slytherins booed. As Harry landed, he heard Lee announce the Slytherin quidditch team with far less enthusiasm. After that, Madam Hooch called them over and told them she wanted a good, clean match and bade the captains shake hands. Oliver's usually friendly face contorted into a sneer as he and Flint tried to break each other's hands during the brief handshake.

"Players, mount your brooms!" Madame Hooch called out. Everyone did so, and at Madame Hooch's word, they kicked off from the ground and play began.

As Harry took flight and began his search for the snitch, his nervousness drained away from him like so much water. Sirius had always called him a natural flier, and today he felt that way even more so than usual. The sounds of the crowd and Lee's voice announcing the game added to his excitement, but, other than that, it was just another quidditch game. He felt as confident as he would have done if he'd been playing a friendly game at the Burrow.

He saw a bludger heading his way and dove, but George blocked it anyway, sending the ball speeding toward Flint. Flint saw it a moment too late and dropped the quaffle as it hit his arm. Angelina grabbed it out of the air and sped toward the Slytherin goal. Reluctantly, Harry tore his gaze away from his teammate and began searching for the snitch again.

"Johnson scores," Lee yelled triumphantly. "Ten-nil to Gryffindor. Pucey's got the quaffle now and he's racing toward the Gryffindor goal. Spinnet attempts to steal, but instead has to dodge a bludger aimed her way by Bletchley. Pucey's past bludger range now and is nearing the Gryffindor goal. Pucey shoots the quaffle…"

Harry looked toward the Gryffindor goal in time to see Oliver reach to his left with both hands and snatch the speeding quaffle out of the air.

"What an amazing save by Oliver Wood, ladies and gentlemen!" Lee called out.

Harry looked around and saw Higgs, the Slytherin seeker, circling the pitch and looking for the snitch. He reminded himself that it was his job to do the same, and he began zigzagging across the pitch just above the other players. From the commentary, he knew that Slytherin scored a goal to answer Gryffindor's, followed closely by two quick scores by Gryffindor. He saw Flint take a bludger to the head, but couldn't tell if it was Fred or George who'd fired the ball his way. Nor could Lee, it seemed, by his announcement. Suddenly, Higgs changed direction and began flying faster. Harry didn't see the snitch and knew Higgs could just be trying to fake him out, but he flew after Higgs anyway and soon spotted the tiny gold ball. He trailed Higgs by a few feet as the snitch began to plummet towards the ground. Harry sped up, finally passing Higgs as they plunged down to within a foot of the ground. The snitch made a sharp right turn and skimmed the grass. He and Higgs both had an arm outstretched, reaching for the elusive snitch. Higgs made a move to bump him, and Harry braced himself, clutching his broom tightly with both hands now. When the impact came, it knocked him sideways a bit, but Higgs got the brunt of it and fell from his broom. Harry had kept the snitch in his sight, and without the impediment of the other seeker, he sped up, reached out his hand, and grabbed it.

Harry heard the cheers from the Gryffindors as he flew back up with the snitch clutched tightly in his raised hand. "Harry Potter caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins!" Lee's voice rang out.

Immediately after catching the snitch, Harry looked over to where his family sat in the stands, but they weren't sitting anymore. Sirius and Cat were jumping up and down and hugging each other. He could see his godfather yelling something, but he couldn't hear over the cheering crowd. Auntie Alice and Uncle Frank were hugging as well, as were Uncle Remus and McGonagall's husband, Mr. E. He landed his broom and looked around to see if he could spot his friends, but then his teammates began crashing into him.

Cries of "Way to go, Harry!", "Excellent work!", and "Spot on, mate!" filled the air around him. Harry could feel himself grinning widely as he thanked his teammates and complimented their performances as well.

Hours later, Harry lay in bed recalling the perfect day. His cheeks had started to hurt from all the grinning he'd done that day, but he still couldn't stop smiling. He heard snores coming from Ron and Neville's beds, but he felt too elated to sleep. He closed his eyes and replayed parts of the day over in his mind.

Somehow, Sirius and Remus had managed to convince McGonagall to allow the parents to have a brief party with the team in her office prior to the traditional victory celebration with just the Gryffindors in their common room. Sirius had described key points of the match to other parents, who seemed to revel in his descriptions despite the fact that they'd witnessed the game first-hand only a half-hour before. Oliver Wood's mother especially seemed to enjoy his elaborate retelling of her son's goal-keeping abilities and her face shone with pride as Sirius described Oliver as "a sentry to rival a sphinx".

Then there was the party in the common room after the parents had kissed and hugged them all good-bye. Plates of sandwiches, bowls of crisps, platters of sweets, and what seemed like endless bottles of butterbeer had fueled the festivities, and Fred and George had charmed an old Victrola to play loud muggle music that Harry, along with everyone else, had quite enjoyed. Even Hermione had put aside her studies and danced along with everyone else to a song called "I'm Winning" by a group called Santana. Harry hadn't heard of them, but he thought they were quite good and took immense pleasure in chanting the chorus along with everyone else. McGonagall had shown up in her tartan dressing gown around half one and sternly told them all to go to bed, but he and his dorm-mates had continued their revelry for another hour once they went upstairs.

It was close to three by the time sleep finally claimed Harry, while he was imagining himself playing seeker for England at the Quidditch World Cup.


End file.
